"Their pineal glands aglow": Theosophical physiology in Ulysses.
James Joyce quarterly January 1, 2008 DOI: 10.1353/jjq.2008.0054 (opens in new tab) via PubMed
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Argues that Joyce's portrayal of Theosophy in Ulysses represents a rejection of its attempt to blend scientific materialism with spirituality. |
Abstract
This article argues that Joyce's engagements with the Theosophy of the Dublin literary world amount to more than simple parody. In Ulysses, Joyce portrays Theosophy's efforts to offer an alternative understanding of physiology to that of the medical establishment as a form of boundary work, an adaptation of the discourse of modern medical research to fashion modern mysticism as a science. Ultimately, Joyce rejects Theosophical physiology and its evolutionary scientism because it provides an unsatisfactory rhetorical body, a failed attempt to renegotiate the boundaries between scientific materialism and spirituality in the awkward modernity of Dublin in 1904.