Musil (a)politico?

Abstract

This article aims to shed light on Robert Musil ’s position on the relationship between culture and politics through the analysis of his essays, letters and notes. Long considered an intellectual alien to the historical and political events of his time, Musil was actually a keen observer of the dynamics of the First World War and the progressive rise of Nazi -Fascism in Germany, Austria
and Italy. His reluctance to identify with any political party stems from his belief that it is necessary to study all the forces at playmaintaining a critical attitude towards all ideological directions. At the same time, he cultivates the hope of a European structure capable of transcending concepts such as “nation” and “race” in favor of a community organi zation that will put an end to the ongoing chain of conflics.