Conceptions of Authority
Presentation/Lecture
Honors Society Guest Lecture, Franklin University Switzerland, 22. November 2019
Just as management can be understood as a communicative discourse, authors want literary texts to have an impact. The talk addresses the control of actions through language and writing and compares conceptions of authority in literature and management. On 10 October 2019, the controversial Austrian author Peter Handke (*1942) received the Nobel Prize in Literature. His work reflects intensively the role of language as a means of communication in society and art, specifically as a means for guiding and influencing readers and audiences. In his stage plays in particular, Handke highlights difficulties in today’s leadership roles, such as managers and politicians. Serge Honegger discusses Handke’s conceptions of authority and their implications for our age.