175:. In 1937, Cioran left Romania and relocated to Paris, where he lived for the rest of his life. This break marked two definite periods in Cioran's life and work: an early Romanian period, and a later, mature French period. Cioran later published several works in French, which brought him to wider attention.
399:
nature of Cioran's work forced his parents to maintain a low profile. His mother once said that if she had known how miserable he would become, she would have aborted him, a statement which Cioran described as "liberating". Despite this, she still read his works, whereas his father refused, because
283:
Poverty destroys everything in life; it makes it ghastly, disgusting... The convulsions of poverty bear no trace of purification; they are all hatred, bitterness, and flesh gone evil. Poverty does not engender a pure, angelic soul or an immaculate humility any more than sickness does; its humility
237:
There is value only in that which bursts forth from inspiration, which springs up from the irrational depths of our being, from the secret center of our subjectivity. The fruit of labor, effort and endeavor has no value, and the offspring of intelligence is sterile and uninteresting. I delight in
310:, conditions from which Cioran suffered throughout his life: "I've never been able to write otherwise than in the midst of the depression brought about by my nights of insomnia. For seven years I could barely sleep. I need this depression, and even today before I sit down to write I play a disk of
260:
I hate Jesus for his preachings, his morality, his ideas, and his faith. I love him for his moments of doubt and regret, the only truly tragic ones in his life, though neither the most interesting nor the most painful, for if we had to judge from their suffering, how many before him would also be
394:
Although Cioran gained a following among French intellectuals during his later years, the response to his early work in his home country of
Romania was overwhelmingly negative. Cioran's father was a priest, and his mother was head of a local Christian Women's League. The
289:
Although suffering moves me and sometimes even delights me, never could I write the apologia of suffering, because long-lasting sufferingâand all genuine suffering is long-lastingâthough purifying in its first phases, unhinges the reason, dulls the senses, and finally
27:
265:
Although Cioran focuses on negative emotions and gives contrarian opinions, he also considers certain positive emotions and expresses more conventional views rejecting certain negative states, although these rejections have an anti-Christian content.
228:
and heightened emotional states for their ability to force humans to reconsider the truly important categories of the human condition, such as love and death. Humans may ignore such categories for several years by focusing on the routines of
254:
Man should stop beingâor becomingâa rational animal. He should become a lunatic, risking everything for the sake of his dangerous fantasies, capable of exaltations, ready to die for all that the world has as well as what it has
274:
of the
English word. Although he praises the heightened emotions which suffering can induce, Cioran explicitly rejects poverty and suffering themselves as purely destructive states which have none of the nobility or
221:. For Cioran, while sadness itself is an acute emotion which may follow moments of happiness, melancholy is a more diffuse form of sadness, associated with regret and ambiguity.
238:
the barbaric and spontaneous Ă©lan of inspiration, effervescent spiritual states, essential lyricism, and inner tensionâthese things make inspiration the only reality of creation.
853:
400:
of his profession: "Everything that I wrote bothered him and he didn't know how to react. But my mother understood me." Cioran's works were banned under the rule of
1226:
1061:
349:
186:
156:, published in 1934 as his first book. It consists of several brief reflections on negative themes which later permeated Cioran's work, such as
1094:
846:
743:
426:
201:
The text consists of 66 brief titled sections, usually ranging in length from one to three pages. In each section, Cioran considers certain
987:
505:
315:
1150:
799:
414:
1221:
461:
121:
870:
839:
1175:
1035:
775:
1231:
1009:
185:
Foundation for Art and
Literature. Cioran's later works received other awards, including the Prix Rogier Namier and the
612:
1055:
928:
638:
453:
685:
The Fall out of
Redemption: Writing and Thinking Beyond Salvation in Baudelaire, Cioran, Fondane, Agamben, and Nancy
318:." The book's title derives from a phrase that was commonly used in Romanian newspapers of the period to begin the
1211:
736:
270:
and grace are described as positive states, although Cioran's grace is more secular and aesthetic, as opposed to
338:
1216:
1165:
862:
376:
1185:
1160:
1043:
271:
1021:
903:
357:
729:
401:
1206:
918:
908:
888:
783:
420:
353:
233:, or by participating in rational or intellectual endeavors. Cioran scorns the latter categories:
206:
1145:
878:
791:
995:
898:
457:
303:
214:
172:
145:
116:
1086:
1027:
883:
384:
26:
1170:
818:
893:
388:
387:
described him as "the greatest French writer to honour our language since the death of
247:
1200:
933:
913:
380:
230:
182:
1140:
964:
949:
1078:
383:
that Cioran would later be recognised for. Speaking on Cioran in general terms,
1180:
1155:
959:
923:
752:
445:
396:
311:
243:
153:
37:
954:
209:, contrasting them with each other. He focuses on negative emotions, such as
63:
341:, which occurred in the same year that the book was published. Despite this,
276:
267:
218:
1004:
The
Tragical as World Law and Humour as Aesthetic Shape of the Metaphysical
831:
372:
345:
expresses attitudes which are contrary to
National Socialist philosophy.
319:
307:
225:
165:
161:
323:
210:
202:
83:
326:, e.g. "On the heights of despair, young so-and-so took his life...".
334:
360:. The image depicts monstrous demons who are attacking the saint.
157:
1102:
Anti-Natalism: Rejectionist
Philosophy from Buddhism to Benatar
835:
725:
1095:
The
Conspiracy Against the Human Race: A Contrivance of Horror
721:
639:"Review â Eugene Thacker's "Cosmic Pessimism" (N.N. Trakakis)"
613:"The Philosopher of Failure: Emil Cioran's Heights of Despair"
171:
It was one of several works that Cioran wrote in his native
348:
The cover of the book's
English edition is a detail of the
193:
was translated into
English by Ilinca Zarifopol-Johnston.
712:
Wakefulness and Obsession: An Interview with E.M. Cioran
506:"E. M. Cioran, 84, Novelist And Philosopher of Despair"
1108:
Weltschmerz: Pessimism in German Philosophy, 1860â1900
1120:
Dark Matters: Pessimism and the Problem of Suffering
181:
received a young authors' prize, established by the
1133:
1070:
980:
973:
942:
869:
810:
759:
127:
115:
107:
99:
89:
79:
69:
59:
51:
43:
33:
1114:Depressive Realism: Interdisciplinary perspectives
242:Throughout the text, Cioran also expresses anti-
287:
281:
258:
252:
235:
111:King Carol II Foundation's Young Writer's Prize
152:) is a Romanian philosophical work written by
847:
737:
8:
452:. Translated by Zarifopol-Johnston, Ilinca.
19:
189:, although Cioran declined both. In 1992,
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840:
832:
744:
730:
722:
25:
18:
261:entitled to call themselves sons of God!
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670:
625:
598:
586:
574:
562:
550:
538:
526:
484:
477:
611:Bradatan, Costica (28 November 2016).
279:which Christianity confers upon them.
16:1934 philosophical book by Emil Cioran
427:The Conspiracy Against the Human Race
187:Grand prix de littérature Paul-Morand
7:
1079:Pessimism: A History and a Criticism
989:The World as Will and Representation
499:
497:
495:
493:
1227:Works about philosophical pessimism
687:. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 142.
371:was noted for its elaborate prose,
1151:History of philosophical pessimism
14:
1087:The Philosophy of Disenchantement
1062:Works by philosophical pessimists
337:. He expressed support for the
284:is venomous, evil, and vengeful.
1052:Discomfort and Moral Impediment
1:
1011:Philosophy of the Unconscious
661:Cioran, 1934, in Ornea, p.192
1176:Benatar's asymmetry argument
1018:The Philosophy of Redemption
333:, Cioran was sympathetic to
800:The Trouble with Being Born
454:University of Chicago Press
415:The Trouble with Being Born
350:Temptation of Saint Anthony
132:The Book of Delusions
1248:
20:On The Heights of Despair
768:On the Heights of Despair
683:Acquisto, Joseph (2015).
450:On the Heights of Despair
369:On the Heights of Despair
343:On the Heights of Despair
331:On the Heights of Despair
302:was written in a bout of
300:On the Heights of Despair
191:On the Heights of Despair
179:On the Heights of Despair
141:On the Heights of Despair
91:Published in English
47:Ilinca Zarifopol-Johnston
24:
1222:Works about antinatalism
1037:A Short History of Decay
776:A Short History of Decay
339:Night of the Long Knives
1166:Philosophical pessimism
863:Philosophical pessimism
673:, front and back cover.
377:philosophical pessimism
329:At the time of writing
710:Michel, Jakob (1994).
292:
286:
263:
257:
240:
149:
1186:Wild animal suffering
1161:Pessimism controversy
1110:(Frederick C. Beiser)
1045:The Human Predicament
1031:(Peter Wessel Zapffe)
1013:(Eduard von Hartmann)
991:(Arthur Schopenhauer)
714:. JSTOR. p. 125.
150:Pe culmile disperÄrii
1232:Works by Emil Cioran
508:. The New York Times
352:, as painted on the
207:psychological states
1122:(Mara van der Lugt)
919:Peter Wessel Zapffe
909:Eduard von Hartmann
889:Arthur Schopenhauer
784:All Gall is Divided
421:Peter Wessel Zapffe
354:Isenheim Altarpiece
272:the religious sense
21:
1146:Depressive realism
1022:Philipp MainlÀnder
999:(Giacomo Leopardi)
904:Philipp MainlÀnder
879:Hegesias of Cyrene
822:(2007 composition)
792:History and Utopia
358:Matthias GrĂŒnewald
335:National Socialism
1194:
1193:
1129:
1128:
997:Small Moral Works
829:
828:
601:, pp. 54â55.
577:, pp. 59â60.
565:, pp. 96â97.
541:, pp. 39â40.
529:, pp. 41â42.
402:Nicolae CeauÈescu
379:, expressed in a
173:Romanian language
137:
136:
80:Publication place
1239:
1212:Philosophy books
1134:Related articles
1098:(Thomas Ligotti)
1029:The Last Messiah
1006:(Julius Bahnsen)
978:
884:Giacomo Leopardi
856:
849:
842:
833:
746:
739:
732:
723:
716:
715:
707:
701:
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689:
688:
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668:
662:
659:
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650:
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643:RELIGIOUS THEORY
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385:Saint-John Perse
128:Followed by
71:Publication date
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22:
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1197:
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1171:Problem of evil
1125:
1116:(Colin Feltham)
1066:
1047:(David Benatar)
969:
938:
865:
860:
830:
825:
819:Nocturnal Walks
806:
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224:Cioran praises
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92:
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12:
11:
5:
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1234:
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1219:
1217:Romanian books
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1117:
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1105:
1104:, (Ken Coates)
1099:
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1090:(Edgar Saltus)
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899:Olga PlĂŒmacher
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894:Julius Bahnsen
891:
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702:
700:, p. xii.
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591:
579:
567:
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489:
487:, p. 127.
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248:anti-Christian
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1082:(James Sully)
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1069:
1063:
1060:
1057:
1056:Julio Cabrera
1053:
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1039:(Emil Cioran)
1038:
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934:David Benatar
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929:Julio Cabrera
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917:
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914:Agnes Taubert
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811:Miscellaneous
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631:
628:, p. xv.
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619:
614:
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604:
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592:
589:, p. 94.
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583:
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463:9780226106717
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231:everyday life
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183:King Carol II
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28:
23:
1141:Antinatalism
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1085:
1077:
1051:
1044:
1036:
1028:
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996:
988:
965:Radical evil
950:Antinatalism
871:Philosophers
817:
798:
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782:
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767:
766:
711:
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684:
678:
666:
657:
646:. Retrieved
642:
633:
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594:
582:
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512:13 September
510:. Retrieved
504:Pace, Eric.
480:
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446:Cioran, Emil
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1181:Weltschmerz
1156:Misanthropy
960:Misanthropy
924:Emil Cioran
753:Emil Cioran
698:Cioran 1992
671:Cioran 1992
626:Cioran 1992
599:Cioran 1992
587:Cioran 1992
575:Cioran 1992
563:Cioran 1992
551:Cioran 1992
539:Cioran 1992
527:Cioran 1992
485:Cioran 1992
439:Source text
397:blasphemous
389:Paul Valéry
312:Gypsy music
244:rationalist
154:Emil Cioran
38:Emil Cioran
1207:1934 books
1201:Categories
648:2021-04-21
434:References
320:obituaries
304:depression
295:Background
215:melancholy
64:Philosophy
44:Translator
1071:Secondary
472:Citations
448:(1992) .
373:aphorisms
364:Reception
290:destroys.
277:catharsis
268:Innocence
943:Concepts
408:See also
324:suicides
308:insomnia
226:lyricism
203:emotions
197:Synopsis
166:insanity
162:insomnia
146:Romanian
55:Romanian
52:Language
981:Primary
316:Hungary
250:views:
211:sadness
84:Romania
955:Duáž„kha
803:(1973)
795:(1960)
787:(1952)
779:(1949)
771:(1934)
460:
217:, and
108:Awards
34:Author
974:Works
760:Books
381:style
314:from
219:agony
158:death
100:Pages
60:Genre
514:2020
458:ISBN
375:and
306:and
255:not.
246:and
168:.
164:and
117:ISBN
95:1992
75:1934
391:."
356:by
322:of
205:or
103:156
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641:.
492:^
456:.
404:.
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148::
1058:)
1054:(
1024:)
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855:e
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745:e
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