Theory of the Aphorism: From Confucius to Twitter

Title: Theory of the Aphorism: From Confucius to Twitter
Author: Andrew Hui
ISBN: 9780691210759
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2020
Binding: Paperback
Language: English
Edition: Reprint
Number of Pages: 272
Condition Note: Excellent, unmarked copy with little wear and tight binding. We ship in recyclable American-made mailers. 100% money-back guarantee on all orders.
R: 1697283
Section: Literary Criticism | General
Publisher Description:

An engaging look at the aphorism, the shortest literary form, across time, languages, and cultures

Aphorisms-or short philosophical sayings-appear everywhere, from Confucius to Twitter, the Buddha to the Bible, Heraclitus to Nietzsche. Yet despite this ubiquity, the aphorism is the least studied literary form. What are its origins? How did it develop? Were the enigmatic sayings of charismatic sages the original "social media"? And why do some of our most celebrated modern philosophers use aphoristic fragments to convey their deepest ideas? In A Theory of the Aphorism, Andrew Hui crisscrosses histories and cultures to answer these questions and more. Encompassing literature, philology, and philosophy, A Theory of the Aphorism invites us to reflect anew on the meaning of this pithiest of literary forms.