Intersezioni | 2019 | N. 2

This paper aims to consider the nature of the first Principle – One Good and first God contemporaneously – in Plotinus’ Neoplatonic perspective. It is regarded as archè (ton) panton, which means the Principle of all things. It is therefore not any one of all things, as it comes before everything: indeed, it is haploustaton, meaning «absolutely simple». This is the reason why archè cannot be positively described by way of cataphatic language, but only, so to speak, via remotionis, which means in an apophatic way: we cannot say what the first Principle is, but we can say what it is not. Although removed from every kind of determination, the Principle, as the very basis of the identity between Being and Intellect in the intelligible world, has a feature which is inherent in its own nature: the first Principle is the source and originof the identity between being and thought in the intelligible reality whilst also being absolute Identity, meaning identity beyond every kind of relation and determination. The ascent itself to the One Good, which transcends both knowledge and thought, occurs via a sort of identification and fusion with it. The longing to reach the absolute Identity of the Principle arises from a need coming from the thought itself, in its own search for an authentic and ultimate foundation of all reality. Starting with Plotinus, in Western philosophical tradition the absolute Identity is regarded as being closely related with the nature of the Absolute, principle of all things, beyond every ontological determination and delimitation.

In 1656 R. Vallin published a commented edition of Boethius’s Consolatio on the title page of which Lady Philosophy wears a Greek peplos, as if she were the Goddess of Wisdom. From 1656 onward, title pages and frontispiece plates, imitating the title page of Vallin’s edition, were printed more than once. The Greek peplos appeared on the frontispiece of the German translation of the Consolatio published by C.K. von Rosenroth and F.M. van Helmont who took advantage of both Vallin’s critical text and Neoplatonic commentary. However, since the former enjoyed a wider circulation than the latter, Lady Philosophy ceased to wear the Greek peplos in order to don a sober garment, more suitable with Cartesianism and Christian Stoicism. She even donned the rough tunic traditionally worn by the personification of Biblical Wisdom, as she did on the frontispiece of the theatrical adaptation of the
Consolatio, arranged by J.J. Fahsius.

Recent research on the ongoing discoveries regarding Rita Levi-Montalcini’s nerve growth factor (NGF), and within connectomics in general, has called to mind Santiago Ramón y Cajal’s contribution to neurogenesis. Cajal was convinced that during the process of development the nervous system, and in particular the brain, respected three laws of economy: conservation of time (of conduction), of material and of space. He believed that these standards of economy were not the result of chance, nor even of evolution. Nonetheless he had been an avid reader of Spencer’s work on biology and, in his youth, he had shown considerable interest in philosophy. In his maturity, however, he had moved away from the Darwinian model to embrace a neurotropic (or «chemical guidance») approach, which in the early twentieth century would enjoy the support of many neuroembryologists.

This article is an experiment that uses quantitative methods to try to answer the question: how does the morphology of an aesthetic object behave, when in a historical phase of shock? Taking 1945 as a symbolic date, it will therefore try to investigate the evolution of a sample of verses written in Italy from 1930 to 1944, and from 1945 to 1957. The resulting picture will reveal four indicators in the post-1945 period: 1) conservativeness in terms of subjects; 2) pedagogic propensity; 3) simplification and rationalisation of structures; 4) constant innovation of style and form. Prompted by a few considerations about the method, interpretative assumptions will be made and unspecific explanations will be rejected, in the attempt to stick to a close approach
that reflects what Wittgenstein defined as «intermediate links».

Aim of this paper is to analyse, from a philosophical point of view, the concept of mask and the problem of political suggestion of masks in some of the earlier essays of Jean Starobinski. Ideated during the World War II and written between 1946 and 1947, these texts were conceived as attempts to respond to the dramatic challenges and questions of history by exposing the deep analogy of fascist ideologies and magical religious ceremonies in the so-called primitive societies. This earlier part of Jean Starobinski’s works is not well known. Nevertheless, this part is not minor and – as this paper aims to show – is closely consistent with both L’invention de la liberté and the famous essays on Enlightenment thinkers and writers as believers in sincerity, enemies of masks and camouflages. In these last essays, the great literary critic and historian of ideas refers to the theme mask-myth-politics only indirectly and in a piecemeal manner. The second part of this paper examines Starobinski’s concepts of true and false mask from the point of view of Furio Jesi’s theory of «unknowability».

This essay discusses the relevance of the Italian tradition within the literary form of Interactive Fiction. Such relevance is connected to the efforts of Italian readers, who gave rise to a case of fan fiction when Interactive Fiction started its decline,
during the 90s. This essay aims to examine how this narrative and social phenomenon could be considered an interesting neo-baroque manifestation. In addition, it shows how Federico Bianchini’s work con be considered representative of the form.
It analyzes the analog components and the structure of his works, the way in which playability and the narrative aspect interact, and how their peculiarities and flaws are representative of the social phenomenon of Italian fan fiction, supported by the
notorious online platform librogame.net.

The aim of this paper is to offer an overview of the political and ethical thought of the philosopher Paul Ricoeur. The legacy French President Macron claims from Ricoeur’s teachings has stirred up an unprecedented interest for this part of ricoeurian’s philosophy. This new interest often resulted in superficial assessments on Ricoeur’s political thought, with insufficient consideration of the very thesis the author supported during his productive activity. A short guide to the main reception
of ricoeurian complex thought will be offered. Then the connection Ricoeur traces between the exercise of freedom and the political problem of power and institutions will be taken into account. In the last part, we will discuss Ricoeur’s kantianism and
how it affects his ideas on democracy nowadays.