Themata and pathosformeln: when the history of science and the history of art reveal conceptual affinities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31977/grirfi.v20i3.1837Keywords:
Themata; Pathosformeln; Historical persistence; Disciplinary and cultural transversality.Abstract
This article presents a comparative analysis of two concepts proposed and developed in two very different areas: the concept of themata, proposed by Gerald Holton in the area of the history of science and related to the processes of production and diffusion of scientific knowledge, and the concept of Pathosformeln, proposed by Aby Warburg in the area of history of art and related to some important historical and epochal continuities of artistic production. Despite the very different disciplinary contexts in which they were proposed, and despite the specificities that naturally ensure the identity of each of the concepts, it is shown in this article how themata and Pathosformeln have undeniable and important affinities. In fact, both correspond to entities that have a long historical persistence, a cyclical nature, and a great disciplinary, cultural and epochal transversality, in conjunction with a great capacity to assume specific forms at a given time and in a given context. Despite the roots in very different areas, the affinities are strong enough to recognize that themata and Pathosformeln belong to a conceptual network with great potential for understanding, not only the science and art, but also the historical and transdisciplinary dynamics of culture in general.
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