K ulturwissenschaftliches Institut für Europaforschung
Melanie Fröhlich (Tartu, November 2003)
Intertextuality as cultural theory. Michael M. Bachtin:
the philosophy of dialogue in its meaning for a vivid European culture
In our lecture, focussing Bakthinian thought, we follow the question: How is a vivid European Culture concerning to Bakhtins philosophy of Dialogue thinkable?
Our thesis is, that the Bakthinan thought based on the new aesthetic of the literary work of Dostoevsky - the so called polyphonic novel - can be translated to a more universal level, a cultural level. Differentiating between monologue and dialogue by "speaking about" versus "speaking with", Bakthin shows that the world of Dostoevsky is not a closed and hierarchical one, instead it presents a never ending process. So there does not exist a finite truth, truth is constructed by discourse. This polyphonic world is the world of encounters between different individuals, so the rooms are zones of "familiar contacts". But such an encounter in a Bakthinan understanding starts with the "You" not with the "I". So it stands for a model of alterity instead of identity. Encountering the Other needs responsive understanding to perceive difference as a surplus and furthermore these encounters generate the dynamic of a system. Bakthinian thought enable us to think Europe in its diversity and variety, unity becomes possible in its ambivalence.
Concerning to Bakthin a vivid European culture first of all needs points of encounter. People of different European nations need to come together and celebrate exchange. The only condition given by Bakthin is to be open minded, however little but so much. But beyond this to develop a more applied concept we have to pose the question: What are the preconditions for dialogue? What can be the cultural common grounds or joint actions? How can we understand dialogical exchange as a cultural memory, neglecting and recollecting. And what about concepts of cultural memory in this context?
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