Beobachtungen zur Inszenierung der Proponenten im Antibarbarorum Liber des Erasmus von Rotterdam

Abstract

Peter Schenk: Observations on the staging of the proponents in the Antibarbarorum liber of Erasmus of Rotterdam

This paper analyzes Erasmus’ skillful presentation and his staging of the dialogue’s dramatis personae. Starting from the observations that have so far been made on the Antibarbarorum liber, it offers an expanded and in-depth investigation of the text, and contextualizes Erasmus’ criteria for the distribution of roles within the discourse of philosophical dialogues in general. In this context, the plausibility of the description is emphasized: it serves to make the presentation seem pos-sible, even likely, to the recipient. This analysis focuses on three aspects of the staging of the dialogue’s participants: 1. the division into groups 2. the function of the characters within the dialogue, and 3. the staging of the relationship between the first-person narrator and Batt. It is precisely the latter aspect that leads to an analysis of the relationship between oral dialogue and written versions. As a result, it becomes clear how Erasmus inscribes himself in the discourse of philosophical dialogue, while at the same time presenting an individual elaboration of motifs. This is particularly evident in the relationship between writing and orality – an aspect that gives the Antibarbarorum liber its own special position in the tradition of philosophical-rhetorical dialogue.