The Dialogue Form in Periphyseon: Recreating the Mind
Kendig, Elizabeth
The Dialogue Form in Periphyseon: Recreating the Mind - 2013.
25
The form of the dialogue, in this case the exchange between the Nutritor and the Alumnus, is the most obvious feature of Eriugena’s Periphyseon, but it is often curiously taken for granted. This paper observes the nature and function of the two characters of the dialogue, and the relationship between them, with the suggestion that the dialogue of Periphyseon might actually be a bifurcated interior monologue. Examination of internal evidence from Books IV and V illustrates the ways the Alumnus functions as a rhetorical vehicle, providing the impetus for the upward spiral of the discussion. In addition to serving as a model of the ideal intended audience of Periphyseon, the character of the Alumnus provides an opportunity for the Nutritor, ostensibly the superior voice in the dialectic, to develop his arguments and fully convince himself, thus bringing the discussion to a higher level. In the process, the characters of the Alumnus and the Nutritor together become an example of one of the key points of Eriugena’s idealist philosophy: in a dialogue between participants, when one understands what the other understands, he is indescribably created in the other, and they form one understanding.
The Dialogue Form in Periphyseon: Recreating the Mind - 2013.
25
The form of the dialogue, in this case the exchange between the Nutritor and the Alumnus, is the most obvious feature of Eriugena’s Periphyseon, but it is often curiously taken for granted. This paper observes the nature and function of the two characters of the dialogue, and the relationship between them, with the suggestion that the dialogue of Periphyseon might actually be a bifurcated interior monologue. Examination of internal evidence from Books IV and V illustrates the ways the Alumnus functions as a rhetorical vehicle, providing the impetus for the upward spiral of the discussion. In addition to serving as a model of the ideal intended audience of Periphyseon, the character of the Alumnus provides an opportunity for the Nutritor, ostensibly the superior voice in the dialectic, to develop his arguments and fully convince himself, thus bringing the discussion to a higher level. In the process, the characters of the Alumnus and the Nutritor together become an example of one of the key points of Eriugena’s idealist philosophy: in a dialogue between participants, when one understands what the other understands, he is indescribably created in the other, and they form one understanding.
Réseaux sociaux