In George Orwell's 1984 God is identified with power. The aim of this paper is understanding why there is this identification in one of Orwell's most famous books. The reason probably can be found in the concept of power underlying Orwell's work: the object of power is power; it is an end and, if so, the search for power result in search for omnipotence. The Big Brother indeed tries to own the attributes of: omnipotence, infallibility and immortality and, in order to do this, it changes continuously the past, but these relations between the search for power and its consequences are really one of the most important themes of medieval philosophy. Therefore, the comparison with some medieval philosophers will help understand Orwell's thinking, its ground and purpose. God is power because in 1984 who holds power is like God.

George Orwell e il problema medievale dell'onnipotenza divina. La modificabilità del passato in 1984.

Possamai, Andrea
2017-01-01

Abstract

In George Orwell's 1984 God is identified with power. The aim of this paper is understanding why there is this identification in one of Orwell's most famous books. The reason probably can be found in the concept of power underlying Orwell's work: the object of power is power; it is an end and, if so, the search for power result in search for omnipotence. The Big Brother indeed tries to own the attributes of: omnipotence, infallibility and immortality and, in order to do this, it changes continuously the past, but these relations between the search for power and its consequences are really one of the most important themes of medieval philosophy. Therefore, the comparison with some medieval philosophers will help understand Orwell's thinking, its ground and purpose. God is power because in 1984 who holds power is like God.
2017
IX.3
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10278/3699699
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