Work

Rhythm as Form

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: In the present essay, I explore the historical roots of “rhythm” in biblical Hebrew and classical Greek. In both cases, the concept of rhythm arises from an account of material form. In Hebrew, rhythm (ketsev) speaks in the first instance to the limits, cut, or shape of a given object, while in Greek the idea of ruthmós as form also intersects with deeper philosophical considerations. I conclude by connecting these complementary ideas of rhythm to Emmanuel Levinas’s fragmentary aesthetics, pointing to an understanding of rhythm as both form and dispossession.

DOI: 10.82940/nfvv-xh23

Author: Barletta, Vincent

Institution: Stanford University

Language: English

Topic: Philosophy, Ethics, and Existentialism

Subfield: Philosophy

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W3043864713

FWCI:

Cites:

Cited by: 1

Related to: 20