Acting Power: Reading "Fiorenza" in the Time of Trump
Journal
Studia Philosophica
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2025-04-01
Author(s)
Abstract
Thomas Mann'so nly play "Fiorenza" (1905)j uxtaposes two types of (potential)r ulers, the motives and sources of their respective power:Lorenzo de' Medici builds his reign on an astute reading of the mechanisms of Florentine society and on cladding the republic in the magnificence of the arts, thus turning popular attention to what he deems good and beautiful. Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola, by contrast, embodies resentment and turns into aleader who makes his audience re-feel negative emotions that they then direct outwards. As such, Mann'sd epiction of Savonarola lends itself to an exploration of a contemporary political figure who has been repeatedly studied as an example of a 'man of ressentiment,' the 45 th and 47 th US president Donald J. Trump. Reading Trump in light of af ictionalized Savonarola draws attention to the different nature of the resentment today'sp opulists build on and the different passions they galvanize. While both ultimately direct their follower'srage against the existent institutions and values, they instill adifferent sense of self in their audience. In the end, the fire they lit in others may claim their own lives.
Language
English
Keywords
Thomas Mann
Donald J. Trump
Girolamo Savonarola
Resentment
populism
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
No
Volume
84
Number
1
Start page
73
End page
84
Subject(s)
Division(s)
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
open.access
Name
Acting Power.pdf
Size
100.76 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
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