The Intrinsic Irony of the Future Sublime.

Sublimity is sincere and devoid of any irony, but it is intrinsically ironic in both concept and function. It blurs the difference between self and other yet reinforces one's sense of self. It overwhelms all reason but, simultaneously, one is acutely aware. The sublime allows one to experience terror but from a safe distance. It is within its disorientation that the conjoining of confusion and clarity happens. The Kantian conceit of the sublime implies a negative pleasure. Understanding comes through the inability to comprehend enormity fully. The sublime is a lofty notion, but all that is iconic quickly becomes ironic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
La sublimité est sincère et vide de toute ironie, mais elle est intrinsèquement ironique tant en matière de concept que de fonction. Elle brouille la différence entre le soi et l'autre tout en renforçant le sens de soi. Elle bouleverse la raison, mais, simultanément, l'on est intensément conscient. Le sublime nous permet de vivre de la terreur, mais d'une distance sécuritaire. C'est dans cette désorientation que l'union de la confusion et de la clarté a lieu. La prétention kantienne du sublime implique un plaisir négatif. La compréhension vient de l'inhabilité à complètement comprendre l'énormité. Le sublime est un concept noble, mais ce qui est ironique devient rapidement ironique. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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