Buddhist ideas play an essential role in Laforgue’s philosophical thinking. In particular, it is through Buddhism that Laforgue engages in the ethical debate between Schopenhauer and Hartmann, a debate that is focused on the question of sexuality. But far from being a devotee of Buddhism, he rethinks and rearranges its ideas, pursuing a dialogue with Buddhist thought throughout his career. Ultimately, it is not Buddhism’s “otherness” that appeals to the poet, but rather, the opportunity that it presents for thinking differently.
CLIL theme: 4027 -- SCIENCES HUMAINES ET SOCIALES, LETTRES -- Lettres et Sciences du langage -- Lettres -- Etudes littéraires générales et thématiques
Keyword: nineteenth-century literature, philosophy, religion, Jules Laforgue, Arthur Schopenhauer, Eduard von Hartmann, Buddhism, asceticism, sexuality
