Looking at concepts of truth and lies through fictional worlds. Umberto Eco’s novels "Baudolino" and "The Name of the Rose"

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter One: Creating Textual Worlds – Historiographic Metafiction

Encyclopaedia of knowledge

Microcosm and heterocosm

Intertextuality and anachronism

Historical and fictional characters

Historical verisimilitude: chroniclers narrate

Mixing different planes of reality

Creating a place for Prester John

Vortex of interpretation versus dogmatic closure

Chapter Two: Political Power-Struggle over Truth-Claims – Cui bono?

Rivalry between the state and the church

Secular and religious power based on forged letters

Suppression of dissidents

Subversive strategies: poverty debate, laughter and satire

Apocalypse: a new beginning or the end of everything?

What and where is paradise – How does one get there?

Chapter Three: Authority and Authenticity - Establishing and Controlling Truth-claims

The Library preserves and conceals knowledge

Heretics and Saints

The network of textual knowledge

Unicorns or rhinoceros?

Tradition has a social function

The force of persuasion

Suppressing alternative narratives

Chapter Four: Conceptual Making of Truth and Imagining Possibilities

Empiricism and science

Possibility and desire are part of the future

Feelings and inner truth

Idealism and archetypes

Relics and the importance of singularity

Symbolic ordering – signs and signifiers

The emptiness of language

The conflict between universals and individuals

Objectives and Themes

The primary objective of this thesis is to examine how Umberto Eco, in his novels "The Name of the Rose" and "Baudolino," explores the philosophical and metaphysical concepts of truth. The work investigates how different epistemological and ontological models, as well as political and ecclesiastical authority, shape the construction and control of truth-claims within fictionalized medieval worlds.

• The role of "historiographic metafiction" in creating textual worlds.
• Political struggles between the Church and the State over the control of truth.
• The relationship between medieval authority, tradition, and the establishment of "authentic" knowledge.
• The interplay between individual perception, inner truth, and external factual reality.

Excerpt from the book

Summary of Chapters

Chapter One: Creating Textual Worlds – Historiographic Metafiction: Analyzes how Eco combines historical facts with fiction to create verisimilitude, utilizing the genre of historiographic metafiction to destabilize the boundary between history and narrative.

Chapter Two: Political Power-Struggle over Truth-Claims – Cui bono?: Explores how truth-claims serve as political tools in the power dynamics between the Church and the State, particularly through the use of forged documents and apocalyptic discourse.

Chapter Three: Authority and Authenticity - Establishing and Controlling Truth-claims: Examines how medieval authority and traditional textual sources were used to maintain an epistemological monopoly and control social behavior.

Chapter Four: Conceptual Making of Truth and Imagining Possibilities: Discusses the broader philosophical and theological conflicts of the Middle Ages, including the debate over universals, the rise of empiricism, and the role of inner truth.

Keywords

Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose, Baudolino, Truth-claims, Historiographic Metafiction, Epistemology, Ontology, Medieval Authority, Church and State, Encyclopaedia, Intertextuality, Nominalism, Apocalyptic Visions, Semiotics, Prester John.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the core subject of this thesis?

The work explores how Umberto Eco addresses theories of truth through the narrative structures of his novels "The Name of the Rose" and "Baudolino," highlighting the tension between historical fact and fictional construction.

What are the primary themes discussed?

The central themes include the manipulation of truth for political power, the influence of ecclesiastical authority on knowledge, the role of tradition in maintaining dogmas, and the philosophical conflict between universals and individuals.

What is the overarching research goal?

The thesis aims to analyze the similarities and differences in how Eco represents the structuring of truth-claims, distinguishing between "The Name of the Rose" as a work focused on epistemological questions and "Baudolino" as one exploring ontological uncertainties.

Which scientific methods are applied?

The author uses a literary and philosophical analysis, applying concepts of semiotics, Foucault’s theory of the "episteme," and historiographic metafiction to interpret the novels.

What topics are covered in the main section?

The main sections cover the construction of fictional worlds, the political use of faked evidence, the role of libraries and gatekeepers of knowledge, and the clash between traditional mysticism and emerging empiricism.

What are the characterizing keywords of the work?

The research is defined by keywords such as truth-claims, historiographic metafiction, epistemology, ontology, medieval authority, and semiotics.

How does the role of the "encyclopaedia" change in Eco's work?

The encyclopaedia is presented as a non-fixed, culturally constructed entity that evolves over time; it is subject to constant revision and reflects the prejudices of the era in which it is compiled.

Why is the concept of laughter important in "The Name of the Rose"?

Laughter acts as a subversive political tool that challenges established hierarchies and the seriousness of dogma; it provides a voice to the marginalized and creates a space for doubt, which the Church perceives as a threat.

How does "Baudolino" approach the concept of paradise?

In "Baudolino," paradise is an idealized construct used by characters to nurture hope and desire, functioning as a mental roadmap that motivates their quest and influences their perception of reality.

What distinction is made between "The Name of the Rose" and "Baudolino" in their treatment of truth?

"The Name of the Rose" portrays a struggle within a closed system controlled by dogma, whereas "Baudolino" allows for a more open, subjective, and individualistic experience of truth, often connected to the power of imagination.