Demystification and eroticism: Byung-Chul Han and Roland Barthes analysis on beauty and the sacred in contemporary literature

Authors

Keywords:

Demystification. Eroticism. Concealment.

Abstract

This article examines the reflections of philosophers Byung-Chul Han and Roland Barthes on demystification in today’s society. Revealing the hidden diminishes eroticism, while concealment enhances it. The study aims to analyze the transformation of beauty and the loss of the sacred in contemporary literary expressions. Demystification transforms everything into something pleasurable and accessible, softening beauty by unveiling its cloak, reducing eroticism and converting it into simple appreciation rather than an aura. The aim of this writing is to reflect on how concealment also eroticizes writing; the sacred intentionally covers the “Holy Scriptures” with metaphors and figures of speech, while revelation eliminates mysteries, mysticism and surprise. For this study, we will draw on the works of Byung-Chul Han and Roland Barthes.

Author Biography

André Magalhães Coelho, Universidade Metodista de São Paulo (UMESP)

PhD in Religious Studies from the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC-SP). Master in Religious Studies from the Methodist University of São Paulo and post-doctorate at the same institution (UMESP).

References

AGOSTINHO, Santo. Confissões. De magistro. Trad. J. Oliveira Santos e A. Ambrósio de Pina. São Paulo: Nova Cultural, 1999. (Coleção Os Pensadores).

BARTH, Karl. Revelação de Deus: como sublimação da Religião. Trad. Dorival Alves de Oliveira. São Paulo: Fonte Editorial, 2011.

BARTHES, Roland. O prazer do texto. Trad. J. Guinsburg. São Paulo: Perspectiva, 1987.

HAN, Byung-Chul. A salvação do belo. Trad. Gabriel Salvi Philipson. Petrópolis: Vozes, 2019.

HAN, Byung-Chul. O desaparecimento dos rituais. Uma topologia do presente. Trad. Gabriel Salvi Philipson. Petrópolis: Vozes, 2021.

HAN, Byung-Chul. Sociedade da transparência. Trad. Enio Paulo Giachini. Petrópolis: Vozes, 2017b.

HAN, Byung-Chul. Sociedade do cansaço. Trad. Enio Paulo Giachini. Petrópolis: Vozes, 2017a.

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Published

2024-12-31

Issue

Vol. 16 No. esp. (2024)

Section

Artigos

License

Copyright (c) 2024 André Magalhães Coelho

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