Teorie ozvěnovitosti. K Patočkově filozofii literatury

Theory of Resonance Towards Patočka’s Philosophy of Literature The article considers the relevance of the theory of resonance (ozvěnovitost), which Patočka outlined in his essay ‘Spisovatel a jeho věc’ (The writer and his matter). In the first section of the article, the author introduces this theory with regard to the broader context of Patočka’s works (particularly his late works). He points out the relationship between the theory and Patočka’s themes, for example, the idea of crisis, the natural world, the distinction between the artistic era and the aesthetic era, and the concept of the wholeness of meaning. He concentrates on problems that are only outlined in ‘Spisovatel a jeho věc’, but merit more thorough analysis. In the second section, he discusses the standpoint from which resonance has been conceived, whether it is from the point of view of the creation or of the reception. In the final section, the author considers the problem of the essential, which he believes to be the fundamental, or even the initial, concept of Patočka’s aesthetics. Closely tied to the term of the essential is imagination as a mental faculty that enables one to see the essential. The essay does not claim to be an exhaustive interpretation of this inspirational but overly brief philosophical conception of literature. Rather, it aims to identify selected problems which this theory is concerned with.