ROBERT MUSIL UND DER FESTHALTENDE BLICK

This paper aims to investigate the role of the gaze in the texts published by Musil (perhaps) when he was the editor-in-chief of the Tiroler-Soldaten-Zeitung, in the times of the First World War. It means to explore the philosopher's insight into what lies in front of everyone's eyes. But this kind of insight cannot be reduced to a sort of optical perception (the eyes's recognition). It also concerns the opportunity for soldiers to bear witness to the "great event" of war. The problem is that the experience of the battle produces a discrepancy (hiatus) between "something lived through" (Erlebnis) and the simple experience (Erfahrung). Starting from this point, and in accordance with Benjamin's thesis, the soldiers' gaze is not able to focus on the significance of the war, but bears witness to this "gap". And it is no small thing to recognize the consequences of this discrepancy in the Nazi period