Philosophy International Journal ISSN: 2641-9130 MEDWIN PUBLISHERS Committed to Create Value for Researchers Thoughts and Perspectives on Carlo Michelstaedter Saia G* Research Article Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Argentina Volume 4 Issue 2 Received Date: April 30, 2021 *Corresponding author: Gabriel Saia, Universidad Nacional de General San Martín (UNSAM), Published Date: May 25, 2021 Alvear 1334, Villa Ballester, Argentina, Tel: +541130553260; Email: gabriel.saia92@gmail. DOI: 10.23880/phij-16000179 com Abstract Carlo Michelstaedter (Gorizia, 1887-1910) left a singular trail in the Italian philosophy of the early 20th century. Almost one hundred and eleven years after his demise, his suicide, one can still discuss the influence of the Italian thinker, the vitality of Persuasion and Rhetoric of their topics and the depth of his thought. It is important to know, somehow, the figure that subsists behind the thinker . For this purpose, a tour of his philosophical work, letters, poetry and dialogues is not enough; it help us to shed light on the fascinating creation of the last nihilism doctor, the last great diagnosis of the deep lack of sense that carried the last part of the 19th century and inaugurated the first decade of the 20th century. Michelstaedter must be defended from merely suicidal readings. Like an elegy, perhaps even an ode, remembering the Italian philosopher in these times remains a fruitful, unfinished and extremely mysterious undertaking. Keywords: Persuasion; Rhetoric; Nihilism; Pessimism; Suicide; Michelstaedter his youth should not create in us a prejudice, but rather a qui risquent de le gâcher et d’en faire une misère1 Il ne faut pas abandonner“Un plaisir le suicide aussi simple”, à des gens Michel malheureux Foucault By chance, Michelstaedter belonged to a generation of so- laughter, an astonishing curiosity and a crackling seriousness. called “precocious suicides”, if we may mention this paradox, this oxymoron, made up of two other fleeting geniuses, Carlo Michelstaedter was born in Gorizia on 3 June such as Otto Weininger and George Trakl. The geographical 1887. Twenty-three years later, on October 17th, 1910, proximity also has to add an element for those who like to callhoused of a brieflytheory inthat his is native only theory home, as he action. finds theThe horizonsearch for of make such a comparison, although the landscape described his Life, infinity stalks him and decides to respond to the traceby the a triestine chronological in its copious path, a correspondence sort of biography always based refers on “L’assoluto non l’ho mai conosciuto, ma lo conosco così us to beautiful and familiar places. What is left for us? To comethe Absolute chi soffre turns d’insonnia on itself, conosce it is tangible, il sonno, itcome is experience: chi guarda l’oscurità conosce la luce”2 (Michesltaedter, 1995, p. 55). But Carlo Michelstaedter’s relations? Do a deferred panegyric i.e.for a time that exceeds the century of duration? Treat two or three of his key concepts for the history of philosophy, , “rhetoric”, “persuasion”, “will”? Talk about his exemplary 1 We must not abandon suicide to unhappy people who risk ruining it and Death? None of these questions are necessary, but neither are making it a misery. Unless otherwise stated, the translation is mine. they inopportune in this situation to delve into the figure that 2 I did not know the absolute, but I do know it. I know it as one who suffers from insomnia and knows the dream, as one who, by looking into the darkness, knows the light. Thoughts and Perspectives on Carlo Michelstaedter Philos Int J 2 Philosophy International Journal Michelstaedter offers us, beyond his Death, as if in a session Arangio-Ruiz6 doing academic philosophy some other posthumous. That is, we evocations can only7 recreate relationships of spiritualism —which is what we do in to the extent that we have vast epistolary references and — we were looking for a way back to extract what . However, and focusing Deleuze intended to expose —and I return to spiritualism— mainly on two crucial moments in his life, we can specify a with the “creation of concepts”, the first task of philosophy preciselittle more moment, the thick in a ofletter his addressedbonds. Michelstaedter’s to his friend Chiavacci friendly, itself. As if it were a game between virtuality and actuality, familiar and jovial writing begins to show its dark face at a concepts that are not easily exhausted, that have, in an ontological degree, an incessant exhaustiveness. Everything eon ora February dopo due 26th, settimane 1909, where non sappiamo we can read: niente “il miodi più. fratello È da we can do here and now will correspond, as Michelstaedter impazzire”di New York8 (Michelstaedter, è morto. —Morto 2010, per p.un 372). maledetto Bearing accidente, in mind domainreminds of us rhetoric: when reading the preface to his doctoral thesis, which is Ioboth lo soan che accusation parlo perché and a parlorequest ma of che principle, non persuad to the- erò nessuno; e questa è disonestà — ma la rettorica that the first letters we have from February 1909 are also anagkázhei me taûta drân bía — o in altre parole addressed to Chiavacci, we can imagine that the exchange <<è pur necessario che se uno ha addentato una per- with his friend corresponds both to the death of his brother 3 (Michelstaedter, 1995, p. 3). month:and to the “Per production quello spiraglio of his thesis, della rettoricahis posthumous ho contemplato work. So cosewe read tanto in a più letter interessanti sent by Carlo —amaramente at the beginning interessanti of that fateful che fida sorba la risputi>> ora mi secca maledettamente limitarmi a quella meschinità — ma: omnia in omni!!… et omnia nihil”9 (Michelstaedter, Even so, as he finally admits it under the tragic aspect: allewe cannotparole” 4evade (Michelstaedter, the poison 1995, that p.rhetoric 134), thus entails, begins which the language implies in its full expression. “Con le parole guerra 2010, p. 370). But this idea was foreshadowed in the young La persuasione e la man before, around May of the previous year, when he told his rettoricaposthumous writing that is made up of appendices to his great andfather “rhetoric” that, on thein Brunetto occasion Latini’s of a work translation of school of philology, the speech he work, his doctoral thesis never defended, Prowas Q.only Ligario interested Oratio in of the the relationship great Cicero between(La Rocca, “eloquence” 2011). This study marked a change in Michelstaedter’s life. So let us talk about their origins and relationships, and then move on to a few topics that articulate their opus magnum and Thefinally Relations address the “case” of Michelstaedter. Undoubtedly, the genesis of the text is chaotic, not least with its writing, and if we follow the chronological division that Chiavacci makes of Carlo’sassolutto work pessimismo in the introduction” (“absolute of Opere (1958), we can find that the years 1908-1909 would We can mention anecdotally that he was born into a tocorrespond be theory toand a becomeskind of ““immanent criterion to action, life wealthy Triestine and Hebrew family. His parents were pessimism”) which culminates in 1910, when thought ceases Alberto and Emma, he had two sisters and a brother, Gino, Paula and Elda. As a young man he was introverted and in action” (Michelstaedter, 1958, p. xiv). Several epistles bear devoted much of his time mainly to poetry, music, sketching. witness to this, such as the one addressed to Enrico Mreule callHe did “unsatisfactory”. not excel in elementary At the beginning school, asof wellhis academic as at the endlife, on June 13th, 1909, where he expounds at length his theory heof hismoved basic to education, Vienna to studyhaving mathematics, a performance although that we soon, could in publication of La persuasione e la rettorica (1913; Genova: Formigini, a October 1905, he moved to Firenze (Michelstaedter, 2010, pp. 6 The latter also officiated as their editors on the occasion of the first 26-30) and enrolled in Lettere (Literature) at the Istituto di cura di V. Arangio-Ruiz) and of the main compilation of their writings in the proper names of girlfriends or “friends”, Iolanda De Blasi, Vallecchi,Opere (1958; a cura Firenze: da Emilio Sansoni, Michelstaedter), a cura da Chiavacci). and one last We by can Maria add Raschinito these two editions that made by his cousin, Emilio Michelstaedter (1922; Firenze: NadiaStudi Superiori. Baraden and We knowArgia Cassini,little of theirand some relationships, correspondence beyond rettorica, until, in the 70-80’s, Sergio Campailla made the critical edition of addressed to them5; the same goes for their friends, Enrico (1972). Thus, we have four posthumous editions of La persuasione e la Mreule, Nino Paternolli, Gaetano Chiavacci and Vladimiro subvert these, and closer to the edition of Chiavacci and the Manoscritto “C”, the “complete” of his poetic, philosophical, pictorial and epistolary work. To the critical edition of Andrea Comincini, edited by Joker in 2015. persuade anyone, and this is dishonesty, but the rhetoric forced me to do it, 7 As is the case with the notes left by Emilio, the preface to Opere (1958), 3 I know I am talking because I’m talking, but also know I shall not or the first biography of the gorizian thinker written by Campailla (1974). 8 My brother in New York is dead. He died in a cursed accident, and now, —to put it another way, “if you bite into a crabapple, you must to spit it out. after two weeks, we don’t know anything else. It’s crazy. 4 With words, war against words”. although:9 Through everything the slit of is rhetoric in everything!... I contemplated and everything things so is interesting, nothing.