Zweige eines einzigen Stammes : Hermann Broch's reflections on science and literature (1915-1935)

Abstract

The novels of Hermann Broch (1886 – 1951) are often subject of studies that discuss the relation between science and literature. These studies tend to approach his novels as examples of translations, metaphors, or popularizations of scientific knowledge. This thesis aims to counter these models by means of an in-depth study of the reflections by Herman Broch himself, which should lead to a new perspective on the role of science in modern culture. Most scholars that discuss scientific references in e.g. Die Schlafwandler (1932) and Die Unbekannte Größe (1933) limit themselves to questions about Broch’s scientific competence, his scientific agenda, or his eclectic style. What these studies ignore is the fact that Broch and other novelists discussed a so-called Krise des Romans (Crisis of the Novel), which means that Broch himself had therefore already reflected on the relation between science and literature in his essays and personal letters. Whereas most scholars only use specific parts of his essays to suggest possible scientific influences, this thesis shows that an in-depth study of these essays provides a much more nuanced view on the relation between science and literature in the works of Hermann Broch. A central claim in his theory of the modern novel is that the scientific methodology did not necessarily influence the literary style: the comparison should show that scientific methods and literary methods both reflect epistemological premises that are actually at the core of modern life itself.