Difference between revisions of "Max Bense"

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Born 1910 in Strasbourg. Died 1990 in Stuttgart. German philosopher, writer, and publicist, known for his work in philosophy of science, logic, aesthetics, and semiotics. His thoughts combine natural sciences, art, and philosophy under a collective perspective and follow a definition of reality, which – under the term ''existential rationalism'' – is able to remove the separation between humanities and natural sciences.
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'''Max Bense''' (1910, Strasbourg – 1990, Stuttgart) was a German philosopher, writer, and publicist, known for his work in philosophy of science, logic, aesthetics, and semiotics. His thoughts combine natural sciences, art, and philosophy under a collective perspective and follow a definition of reality, which – under the term ''existential rationalism'' – is able to remove the separation between humanities and natural sciences.
  
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==Life==
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{{TOC limit|3}}
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In 1918 his family was deported from Alsace-Lorraine as a consequence of WWI. After 1930 he studied physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology, and philosophy at the University of Bonn. 1937 he doctor's degree (Quantum Mechanics and Relativity of Dasein) - used the term ''Relativity of Dasein'' (adopted from Max Scheler) for explaining that novel theories do not have to contradict classical science. As declared opponent of national socialism knowingly opposed the Deutsche Physik of the Nazi regime, which rejected the theory of relativity due to Einstein's Jewish origin. Therefore he did not receive his postdoctoral qualification. 1938 worked as a physicist at the Bayer AG in Leverkusen. Then soldier in WWII, firstly as a meteorologist, then as a medical technician in Berlin and Georgenthal, where he was mayor for a short time after the end of the war. In 1945 the University of Jena appointed him to curator (Chancellor of the University) and offered him the possibility of habilitation at the Social-Pedagogic Faculty. 1948 fled from the political development of the Soviet occupation zone to Boppard; 1949 appointed as a guest professor in philosophy and theory of science by University of Stuttgart; 1950 as associate professor. Raised a controversy concerning mythologizing tendencies of German postwar culture. Thereupon he became the target of public polemics, resulting in a postponement of his appointment to full professor until 1963. 1953-58 also worked at the adult education centre and at the College of Design in Ulm; 1958-60 and 1966/67 also guest professor at the Hamburg College for Visual Arts.
 
  
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==Work==
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==Biography==
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; Mathematics in art and language
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Bense spent his early childhood in his birthplace Strasbourg and in 1918 his family was deported from Alsace-Lorraine as a consequence of WWI. Starting in 1920, he attended grammar school in Cologne and after 1930 he studied physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology, and philosophy at the University of Bonn. During his studies, his interest in literature is revealed by several contributions to newspapers, journals, and broadcast, for which he wrote several radio dramas. In 1937 he received his doctor's degree (Dr. phil. nat.) with his dissertation ''Quantenmechanik und Daseinsrelativität'' [Quantum Mechanics and Relativity of Dasein]. He used the term ''Relativity of Dasein'', which he adopted from [[Max Scheler]], for explaining that novel theories do not have to contradict classical science. Bense – declared opponent of national socialism – knowingly opposed the Deutsche Physik of the Nazi regime, which rejected the theory of relativity due to Einstein's Jewish origin. Therefore he did not receive his postdoctoral qualification.
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In his first publication, "Raum und Ich" ("Space and Ego"; 1934) combined theoretical philosophy with mathematics, semiotics, and aesthetics; phrased a rational aesthetics, which defines the components of language – words, syllables, phonemes – as a statistical language repertoire, and which opposes literature that is based upon meaning. Conversely, Bense studied the concept of style, which he applied to mathematics – following Leibniz' Mathesis Universalis, designing a universal markup language. "Die Mathematik in der Kunst" ("Mathematics in Art"; 1949) was his starting point for investigating mathematical principles of form in the history of art. From this, Bense developed a perspective to see the mathematical spirit in works of literary art, especially in metrics and rhythm. Considered the aesthetic and the semantic information to be generally separated and not to be defined until they are used.  
 
  
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; Technology and ethics
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In 1938 Bense initially worked as a physicist at the Bayer AG in Leverkusen. After the outbreak of World War II he was a soldier, first as a meteorologist, then as a medical technician in Berlin and Georgenthal, where he was mayor for a short time after the end of the war. In 1945 the University of Jena appointed him to curator (Chancellor of the University) and offered him the possibility of postdoctoral work (habilitation), which was likely to be cumulative, at the Social-Pedagogic Faculty, which was followed by an appointment to Professor extraordinarius of philosophical and scientific propaedeutics.
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Bense thought about the technical counterparts of human existence; unlike many of his contemporaries he considered machines as pure products of human intelligence, having algorithms as a basis, but soon he posed ethical questions, which were not discussed in ethics of technology until decades later.
 
  
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; Structural analysis of language
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In 1948, Bense fled from the political development of the Soviet occupation zone to Boppard; and he was appointed as a guest professor in philosophy and theory of science by the University of Stuttgart in 1949, and as senior lecturer (associate professor) there in 1950. In 1955, Bense raised a controversy concerning mythologizing tendencies of German postwar culture. Thereupon he became the target of public polemics, resulting in a postponement of his appointment to full professor until 1963.
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Inspired by neuroscience, informatics, and the occupation with electronic calculating machines, but also by Wittgenstein's concept of the language-game, Bense tried to put into perspective or to extend the traditional view of literature. In that, he was one of the first philosophers of culture who integrated the technical possibilities of the computer into their thoughts and investigated them across disciplinary boundaries. He statistically and topologically analysed linguistic phenomena, subjected them to questions of semiotic, information theory, and communication theory using structuralistic approaches. Thus Bense became the first theoretician of concrete poetry, which was started by Eugen Gomringer in 1953, and encouraged e.g. Helmut Heißenbüttel, Claus Bremer, Reinhard Döhl, Ludwig Haring, and Franz Mon to perform further experiments, and also had influence on Ernst Jandl's language deconstruction.
 
  
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; Understanding of science
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In addition, he worked at the adult education centre and at the College of Design in Ulm from 1953 to 1958; he was also guest professor at the Hamburg College for Visual Arts from 1958 to 1960 and in 1966/67. Bense became professor emeritus in February 1978.
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As a theoretician of science, Bense represented the synthetic intellectual concept, where classical humanism and modern technology constructively complement one another. From this concept of science, he hoped for progressive knowledge, which must always be ethically scrutinized, and at the same time, for the prevention of regression. Because of that, Bense argued for enlightenment and put himself into that tradition.
 
  
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After 1984 Max Bense applied his theories of visual art to screen media. Because of that, early thoughts of media studies concerning the internet, especially the concept of digital poetry, can be traced back to Bense.
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==Bibliography==
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(in German unless noted)
 +
===Early writings===
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* ''Raum und Ich. Eine Philosophie über den Raum'', Berlin: Luken & Luken, 1934, 88 pp. [http://www.max-bense.de/raumundich.html], [http://web.archive.org/web/20040912000104/http://www.schrimpf.com/ph/mb/go.html Chapter].
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* ''Aufstand des Geistes. Eine Verteidigung der Erkenntnis'' Stuttgart and Berlin: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1935; Nachdruck R. Oldenburg, 1935.
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* editor, with Peter Schäfer, ''Kierkegard-Brevier'', Leipzig: Insel, 1937.
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* ''Anti-Klages. Oder von der Würde des Menschen'', Berlin: Widerstands, 1937.
  
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==Literature==
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===Thesis===
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; Books by Bense
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* ''[http://www.stuttgarter-schule.de/bense_diss.pdf Quantenmechanik und Daseinsrelativität: Eine Untersuchung über die Prinzipien der Quantenmechanik und ihre Beziehung zu Schelers Lehre von der Daseinsrelativität der Gegenstandsarten]'', 1938. Dissertation.
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* ''Raum und Ich. Eine Philosophie über den Raum''. Luken & Luken, Berlin 1934
 
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* ''Aesthetica (II). Aesthetische Information''. Agis, Baden-Baden 1956
 
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* ''Aesthetica (IV). Programmierung des Schönen. Allgemeine Texttheorie und Textästhetik''. Agis, Krefeld/Baden-Baden 1960
 
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* ''theorie der texte. Eine Einführung in neuere Auffassungen und Methoden''. Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Cologne 1962
 
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* ''Aesthetica. Einführung in die neue Aesthetik''. Agis, Baden-Baden 1965
 
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* [http://www.bense-und-die-kuenste.de/auswahlbibliografie_e.html More]
 
  
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; Dissertations, Papers, Articles by Bense
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===Monographs by Bense===
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* ''[http://www.stuttgarter-schule.de/bense_diss.pdf Quantenmechanik und Daseinsrelativität]'', 1938. Dissertation.
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; Literary works
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* with Reinhard Döhl, [http://www.stuttgarter-schule.de/zur_lage.htm "Zur Lage"], 1964.
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* ''grignan-serie. beschreibung einer landschaft'' (edition rot, text 1), Siegen and Stuttgart, June 1960.
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* [http://relaunch.compart-bremen.de/public/docUploads/Bense_Computergrafik_1966.pdf "Computergrafik"], ''Semiosis'' 3-4 (1990), pp 3-5.
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* ''après-fiche für uns hier und für andere. Werbung für „Rheinlandschaft“'', Faltblatt, Handpressendruck Klaus Burkhardt, Stuttgart, July 1961.
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* [http://www.bense-und-die-kuenste.de/links_e.html More]
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* ''bestandteile des vorüber. dünnschliffe mischtexte montagen'', Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1961.
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* ''Reste eines Gesichtes'', Handpressendruck Klaus Burkhardt, Stuttgart, [1961].
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* ''Entwurf einer Rheinlandschaft'', Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1962.
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* ''vielleicht zunächst wirklich nur. monolog der terry jo im mercey hospital'' (edition rot, text 11), Stuttgart, May 1963.
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* ''Die präzisen Vergnügen. Versuche und Modelle (Limes Nova, 1)'', Wiesbaden: Limes, 1964.
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* ''Zufällige Wortereignisse, Einzelblatt (verschiedene Versionen)'', Stuttgart: edition hansjörg mayer, 1965.
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* ''jetzt'', Einzelblatt (verschiedene Versionen), Stuttgart: edition hansjörg mayer, 1965.
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* ''tallose berge (rio)'', Faltblatt, Stuttgart: edition hansjörg mayer, futura 3, 1965.
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* ''Poetische Texte'', in: Peter Hoch, porträt m. b., acht rezitative, Nr. VIII (7 Notenblätter + 8 Seiten Erläuterungen), c1965.
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* ''Epische Studie zu einem epikuräischen Doppelspiel (tangenten, 7)'', Cologne: Hake, 1967.
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* ''Die Zerstörung des Durstes durch Wasser. Einer Liebesgeschichte zufälliges Textereignis'', Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1967.
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* ''existenzmitteilung aus san franzisko'', Cologne: Hake, 1970.
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* ''nur glas ist wie glas. Werbetexte (Schritte, 17)'', Berlin: fietkau, 1970.
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* ''Zentrales und Occasionelles. Gedichte'', Stuttgart: Edition Künstlerhaus, 1981.
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* ''Das graue Rot der Poesie. Gedichte'', Baden-Baden: Agis, 1983.
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* ''Kosmos Atheos. Gedichte. Suzette, 1985'', Baden-Baden: Agis, 1985.
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* ''Nacht-Euklidische Verstecke. Poetische Texte, Stuttgart, Suzette, Bloomington, 1986/87'', Baden-Baden: Agis, 1988.
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* ''Poetische Abstraktionen. Gedichte und Aphorismen'', Stuttgart: manus presse, 1990.
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* ''Der Mann, an den ich denke'' (edition rot, text 53), Stuttgart, 1991.
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* ''grignan 1 – grignan 2. Beschreibung einer Landschaft'' (edition rot, text 60), February 1996.
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; On art, aesthetics, semiotics
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* ''Konturen einer Geistesgeschichte der Mathematik, Bd. 2, Die Mathematik in der Kunst'', Hamburg: Claassen und Goverts, 1949.
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* ''Literaturmetaphysik. Der Schriftsteller in der technischen Welt'', Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1950.
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* ''Ptolemäer und Mauretanier oder die theologische Emigration der deutschen Literatur'', Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer, 1950.
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* ''Plakatwelt. Vier Essays'', Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1952.
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* ''Die Theorie Kafkas'', Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1952.
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* ''Aesthetica. Metaphysische Beobachtungen am Schönen'', Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1954.
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* ''aesthetica II, Aesthetische Information'', Baden-Baden and Krefeld: Agis, 1956.
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* ''Rationalismus und Sensibilität. Präsentationen'', Baden-Baden and Krefeld: Agis, 1956.
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* ''aesthetica III, Ästhetik und Zivilisation. Theorie der ästhetischen Kommunikation'', Baden-Baden and Krefeld: Agis, 1958.
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* ''aesthetica IV, Programmierung des Schönen. Allgemeine Texttheorie und Textästhetik'', Baden-Baden and Krefeld: Agis, 1960.
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* ''Theorie der Texte. Eine Einführung in neuere Auffassungen und Methoden'', Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1962.
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* ''Aesthetica. Einführung in die neue Aesthetik'', Baden-Baden: Agis, 1965.
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* ''Brasilianische Intelligenz. Eine cartesianische Reflexion'', Wiesbaden: Limes, 1965.
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** ''[[Media:Bense_Max_Inteligencia_brasileira_uma_reflexao_cartesiana.pdf|Inteligência brasileira: uma reflexão cartesiana]]'', trans. Tercio Redondo, São Paulo: Cosac Naify, 2009, 118 pp. (in Portuguese)
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* ''Semiotik. Allgemeine Theorie der Zeichen'', Baden-Baden: Agis, 1967.
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* ''[[Media:Bense_Max_kleine_abstrakte_aesthetik.pdf|kleine abstrakte ästhetik]]'' (edition rot, text 38), Stuttgart, 1969, 32 pp.
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** [[Media:Bense_Max_1969_Breve_estetica_abstracta.pdf|"Breve estética abstracta"]], ''Convivium'' 30 (1969), pp 85-102. (in Spanish) [http://www.raco.cat/index.php/Convivium/issue/view/6466/showToc]
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** ''[[Media:Bense_Max_Pequena_estetica_3a_ed.pdf|Pequena estética]]'', ed. Haroldo de Campos, trans. J. Guinsburg and Ingrid Dormien Koudela, São Paulo: Perspectiva, 1971; 1975; 3rd ed., 2003. (in Portuguese)
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* ''Einführung in die informationstheoretische Ästhetik. Grundlegung und Anwendung in der Texttheorie'', Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt, 1970.
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* ''Artistik und Engagement. Präsentation ästhetischer Objekte'', Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1970.
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* ''[http://openlibrary.org/books/OL16380740M/Die_Realität_der_Literatur Die Realität der Literatur. Autoren und ihre Texte]'', Cologne: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1971, 175 pp.
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* ''Zeichen und Design. Semiotische Ästhetik'', Baden-Baden: Agis, 1971.
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* editor, with Elisabeth Walter, ''Wörterbuch der Semiotik'', Cologne, 1973.
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** ''[[Media:Bense_Max_Walther_Elisabeth_eds_La_Semiotica_Guia_alfabetica.pdf|La Semiótica: guía alfabética]]'', trans. Laura Pla, Barcelona: Anagrama, 1975, 211 pp. (in Spanish). [http://dspace.unav.es/dspace/bitstream/10171/20546/1/Rese%C3%B1as%201977-1.pdf Review].
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* ''Semiotische Prozesse und Systeme in Wissenschaftstheorie und Design, Ästhetik und Mathematik. Semiotik vom höheren Standpunkt'', Baden-Baden: Agis, 1975.
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* ''Die Unwahrscheinlichkeit des Ästhetischen und die semiotische Konzeption der Kunst'', Baden-Baden: Agis, 1979.
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* ''Das Auge Epikurs. Indirektes über Malerei, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt'', Stuttgart, 1979.
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* ''Das Universum der Zeichen. Essays über die Expansionen der Semiotik'' (Internationale Reihe Kybernetik und Information, 14), Baden-Baden: Agis, 1983.
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* ''Ptolemäer und Mauretanier oder die theologische Emigration der deutschen Literatur'', erweitert um eine „Nachbemerkung zur Neuausgabe. Ptolemäer und Mauretanier, noch einmal“, Zürich: Haffmans, 1984.
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; Philosophy
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* ''Über Leibniz. Leibniz und seine Ideologie. Der geistige Mensch und die Technik'', Jena and Leipzig: Rauch, 1946.
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* ''Technische Existenz: Essays'', Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1949, 250 pp.
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* ''Descartes und die Folgen – Ein aktueller Traktat'', Krefeld and Baden-Baden: Agis, 1955.
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* ''Ungehorsam der Ideen - Abschließender Traktat über Intelligenz und technische Welt'', Cologne: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Köln, 1965.
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===Collected writings===
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* ''Ausgewählte Schriften'', 4 Volumes, ed. Elisabeth Walther, Stuttgart: Metzler, 1997/98.
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** Bd. 1: ''Philosophie''.
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** Bd. 2: ''Philosophie der Mathematik, Naturwissenschaft und Technik''.
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** Bd. 3: ''Ästhetik und Texttheorie''.
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** Bd. 4: ''Poetische Texte''.
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===Selected Book chapters, Papers and Articles by Bense===
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* "Der geistige Mensch und die Technik", 1946; repr. in ''Ästhetik als Programm: Max Bense/Daten und Streuungen'', Zürich/Berlin: diaphanes, 2004, pp 32-43.  [http://www.diaphanes.net/buch/artikel/1912]
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* [[Media:Bense_Max_1949_1998_Technische_Existenz.pdf|"Technische Existenz"]], in ''Technische Existenz: Essays'', Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1949; repr. in ''Ausgewählte Schriften, Bd. 3'', 1998, pp 122-146.
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* [[Media:Bense_Max_1951_1997_Manifest_des_existentiellen_Rationalismus.pdf|"Manifest des existentiellen Rationalismus"]] [1951]; in ''Ausgewählte Schriften, Bd. 1'', 1997, pp 1-4.
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* [[Media:Bense_Max_1951_1998_Kybernetik_oder_Die_Metatechnik_einer_neuen_Maschine.pdf|"Kybernetik oder Die Metatechnik einer neuen Maschine"]], ''Merkur'' (March 1951); repr. in ''Ausgewählte Schriften, Bd.2'', 1998, pp 429-446, n473; repr. in ''Ästhetik als Programm: Max Bense/Daten und Streuungen'', Zürich/Berlin: diaphanes, 2004, pp 50-61.  
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* "Kunst in künstlicher Welt", 1956; repr. in ''Ästhetik als Programm: Max Bense/Daten und Streuungen'', Zürich/Berlin: diaphanes, 2004, pp 84-90.  [http://www.diaphanes.net/buch/artikel/1917]
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* "Textästhetik", 1960; repr. in ''Ästhetik als Programm: Max Bense/Daten und Streuungen'', Zürich/Berlin: diaphanes, 2004, pp 106-114. [http://www.diaphanes.net/buch/artikel/1921]
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* with Reinhard Döhl, [http://www.stuttgarter-schule.de/zur_lage.htm "Zur Lage"], 1964.
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* [[Media:Bense_Max_1965_1997_Kunst_und_Intelligenz.pdf|"Kunst und Intelligenz"]], 1965; repr. in ''Ausgewählte Schriften, Bd. 1'', 1997, pp 350-361.  
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* [http://relaunch.compart-bremen.de/public/docUploads/Bense_Computergrafik_1966.pdf "Computergrafik"], ''Kritisches Jahrbuch'' 1, Stuttgart: W. Niedlich, 1966; repr. in ''Semiosis'' 3-4 (1990), pp 3-5. Speech delivered on the opening of ''Computer-Grafik'' exhibition in Buchhandlung Wendelin Niedlich in Stuttgart on 5 November 1965.  
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* "Ästhetik und Programmierung", 1966; repr. in ''Ästhetik als Programm: Max Bense/Daten und Streuungen'', Zürich/Berlin: diaphanes, 2004, pp 208-213.
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* [http://www.bense-und-die-kuenste.de/auswahlbibliografie_e.html#litera More literary articles]
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* [http://www.bense-und-die-kuenste.de/auswahlbibliografie_e.html#artikelkunst More articles on art]
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* [http://www.bense-und-die-kuenste.de/auswahlbibliografie_e.html#technikartikel More articles on philosophy]
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* [http://www.liberley.it/b/bense.htm More]
  
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; Edited journals
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===Edited journals===
 
* ''[[Augenblick]]''
 
* ''[[Augenblick]]''
 
* ''[[rot]]''
 
* ''[[rot]]''
  
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; On Bense
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===On Bense===
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* Elisabeth Walther, [http://www.stuttgarter-schule.de/bense.html "Max Bense's Informational and Semiotical Aesthetics"], 2000.  
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* Elisabeth Walther, [http://www.stuttgarter-schule.de/bense.html "Max Bense's Informational and Semiotical Aesthetics"], September 2000. (in English)
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* Barbara Büscher, Christoph Hoffmann, Hans-Christian von Herrmann (eds.), ''Ästhetik als Programm: Max Bense/Daten und Streuungen'', Zürich/Berlin: Diaphanes, 2004, 308 pp. [http://diaphanes.net/buch/detail/1909]
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* Barbara Büscher, Christoph Hoffmann, Hans-Christian von Herrmann (eds.), ''Ästhetik als Programm: Max Bense/Daten und Streuungen'', Zürich/Berlin: diaphanes, 2004, 308 pp. [http://diaphanes.net/buch/detail/1909]
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* [http://www.bense-und-die-kuenste.de/ausstellung_e.html Introduction to the ZKM's exhibition on Bense], 2010.
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* Ulrich Sieber (ed.), ''[http://elib.uni-stuttgart.de/opus/volltexte/2001/745/pdf/Uni_64.pdf Zum Gedenken an Max Bense: Reden und Texte an seinem 90. Geburtstag]'', Stuttgart: Universität Stuttgart, 2000, 108 pp.
 +
* [http://www.bense-und-die-kuenste.de/ausstellung_e.html Introduction to the ZKM exhibition on Bense], 2010.
 
* [http://www.stuttgarter-schule.de/ More]
 
* [http://www.stuttgarter-schule.de/ More]
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* [http://www.bense-und-die-kuenste.de/links_e.html More]
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===Bibliographies===
 +
* Elisabeth Walther, [http://www.stuttgarter-schule.de/bensebibliografie.htm Chronologische Bibliografie der veröffentlichten Schriften und Rundfunksendungen von Max Bense].
 +
* Elisabeth Walther, [http://www.stuttgarter-schule.de/mb_sekundaerliteratur.html Sekundärliteratur Max Bense].
 +
* [http://www.bense-und-die-kuenste.de/auswahlbibliografie_e.html Bibliography selected by ZKM], 2010.
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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* ''[http://www.bense-und-die-kuenste.de/ Bense and the Arts]'', an exhibition on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the philosopher Max Bense, 7 Feb – 11 Apr [[2010]], [[ZKM]].
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* [http://www.ubu.com/historical/bense/ Bense on UbuWeb]
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* [http://dada.compart-bremen.de/node/800 Bense on CompArt database]
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* [http://www.max-bense.de/ Max-Bense.de]
 +
* [http://www.stuttgarter-schule.de/ Stuttgarter Schule]
 +
* ''[http://www.bense-und-die-kuenste.de/ Bense and the Arts]'', an exhibition on the occasion of the 100th birthday of the philosopher Max Bense, 7 Feb – 11 Apr 2010, [[ZKM]].
 +
* [http://dada.compart-bremen.de/node/800 Bense in CompArt database]
 
* [http://www.hs-augsburg.de/~%20harsch/germanica/Chronologie/20Jh/Bense/ben_intr.html Bense in Bibliotheca Augustana]
 
* [http://www.hs-augsburg.de/~%20harsch/germanica/Chronologie/20Jh/Bense/ben_intr.html Bense in Bibliotheca Augustana]
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* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Bense Bense on English Wikipedia]
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* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Bense Bense at Wikipedia]
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* [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Bense Bense on German Wikipedia]
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* [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Bense Bense at German Wikipedia]

Revision as of 15:43, 12 March 2014

Max Bense (1910, Strasbourg – 1990, Stuttgart) was a German philosopher, writer, and publicist, known for his work in philosophy of science, logic, aesthetics, and semiotics. His thoughts combine natural sciences, art, and philosophy under a collective perspective and follow a definition of reality, which – under the term existential rationalism – is able to remove the separation between humanities and natural sciences.

Biography

Bense spent his early childhood in his birthplace Strasbourg and in 1918 his family was deported from Alsace-Lorraine as a consequence of WWI. Starting in 1920, he attended grammar school in Cologne and after 1930 he studied physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology, and philosophy at the University of Bonn. During his studies, his interest in literature is revealed by several contributions to newspapers, journals, and broadcast, for which he wrote several radio dramas. In 1937 he received his doctor's degree (Dr. phil. nat.) with his dissertation Quantenmechanik und Daseinsrelativität [Quantum Mechanics and Relativity of Dasein]. He used the term Relativity of Dasein, which he adopted from Max Scheler, for explaining that novel theories do not have to contradict classical science. Bense – declared opponent of national socialism – knowingly opposed the Deutsche Physik of the Nazi regime, which rejected the theory of relativity due to Einstein's Jewish origin. Therefore he did not receive his postdoctoral qualification.

In 1938 Bense initially worked as a physicist at the Bayer AG in Leverkusen. After the outbreak of World War II he was a soldier, first as a meteorologist, then as a medical technician in Berlin and Georgenthal, where he was mayor for a short time after the end of the war. In 1945 the University of Jena appointed him to curator (Chancellor of the University) and offered him the possibility of postdoctoral work (habilitation), which was likely to be cumulative, at the Social-Pedagogic Faculty, which was followed by an appointment to Professor extraordinarius of philosophical and scientific propaedeutics.

In 1948, Bense fled from the political development of the Soviet occupation zone to Boppard; and he was appointed as a guest professor in philosophy and theory of science by the University of Stuttgart in 1949, and as senior lecturer (associate professor) there in 1950. In 1955, Bense raised a controversy concerning mythologizing tendencies of German postwar culture. Thereupon he became the target of public polemics, resulting in a postponement of his appointment to full professor until 1963.

In addition, he worked at the adult education centre and at the College of Design in Ulm from 1953 to 1958; he was also guest professor at the Hamburg College for Visual Arts from 1958 to 1960 and in 1966/67. Bense became professor emeritus in February 1978.

Bibliography

(in German unless noted)

Early writings

  • Raum und Ich. Eine Philosophie über den Raum, Berlin: Luken & Luken, 1934, 88 pp. [1], Chapter.
  • Aufstand des Geistes. Eine Verteidigung der Erkenntnis Stuttgart and Berlin: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1935; Nachdruck R. Oldenburg, 1935.
  • editor, with Peter Schäfer, Kierkegard-Brevier, Leipzig: Insel, 1937.
  • Anti-Klages. Oder von der Würde des Menschen, Berlin: Widerstands, 1937.

Thesis

Monographs by Bense

Literary works
  • grignan-serie. beschreibung einer landschaft (edition rot, text 1), Siegen and Stuttgart, June 1960.
  • après-fiche für uns hier und für andere. Werbung für „Rheinlandschaft“, Faltblatt, Handpressendruck Klaus Burkhardt, Stuttgart, July 1961.
  • bestandteile des vorüber. dünnschliffe mischtexte montagen, Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1961.
  • Reste eines Gesichtes, Handpressendruck Klaus Burkhardt, Stuttgart, [1961].
  • Entwurf einer Rheinlandschaft, Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1962.
  • vielleicht zunächst wirklich nur. monolog der terry jo im mercey hospital (edition rot, text 11), Stuttgart, May 1963.
  • Die präzisen Vergnügen. Versuche und Modelle (Limes Nova, 1), Wiesbaden: Limes, 1964.
  • Zufällige Wortereignisse, Einzelblatt (verschiedene Versionen), Stuttgart: edition hansjörg mayer, 1965.
  • jetzt, Einzelblatt (verschiedene Versionen), Stuttgart: edition hansjörg mayer, 1965.
  • tallose berge (rio), Faltblatt, Stuttgart: edition hansjörg mayer, futura 3, 1965.
  • Poetische Texte, in: Peter Hoch, porträt m. b., acht rezitative, Nr. VIII (7 Notenblätter + 8 Seiten Erläuterungen), c1965.
  • Epische Studie zu einem epikuräischen Doppelspiel (tangenten, 7), Cologne: Hake, 1967.
  • Die Zerstörung des Durstes durch Wasser. Einer Liebesgeschichte zufälliges Textereignis, Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1967.
  • existenzmitteilung aus san franzisko, Cologne: Hake, 1970.
  • nur glas ist wie glas. Werbetexte (Schritte, 17), Berlin: fietkau, 1970.
  • Zentrales und Occasionelles. Gedichte, Stuttgart: Edition Künstlerhaus, 1981.
  • Das graue Rot der Poesie. Gedichte, Baden-Baden: Agis, 1983.
  • Kosmos Atheos. Gedichte. Suzette, 1985, Baden-Baden: Agis, 1985.
  • Nacht-Euklidische Verstecke. Poetische Texte, Stuttgart, Suzette, Bloomington, 1986/87, Baden-Baden: Agis, 1988.
  • Poetische Abstraktionen. Gedichte und Aphorismen, Stuttgart: manus presse, 1990.
  • Der Mann, an den ich denke (edition rot, text 53), Stuttgart, 1991.
  • grignan 1 – grignan 2. Beschreibung einer Landschaft (edition rot, text 60), February 1996.
On art, aesthetics, semiotics
  • Konturen einer Geistesgeschichte der Mathematik, Bd. 2, Die Mathematik in der Kunst, Hamburg: Claassen und Goverts, 1949.
  • Literaturmetaphysik. Der Schriftsteller in der technischen Welt, Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1950.
  • Ptolemäer und Mauretanier oder die theologische Emigration der deutschen Literatur, Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer, 1950.
  • Plakatwelt. Vier Essays, Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1952.
  • Die Theorie Kafkas, Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1952.
  • Aesthetica. Metaphysische Beobachtungen am Schönen, Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1954.
  • aesthetica II, Aesthetische Information, Baden-Baden and Krefeld: Agis, 1956.
  • Rationalismus und Sensibilität. Präsentationen, Baden-Baden and Krefeld: Agis, 1956.
  • aesthetica III, Ästhetik und Zivilisation. Theorie der ästhetischen Kommunikation, Baden-Baden and Krefeld: Agis, 1958.
  • aesthetica IV, Programmierung des Schönen. Allgemeine Texttheorie und Textästhetik, Baden-Baden and Krefeld: Agis, 1960.
  • Theorie der Texte. Eine Einführung in neuere Auffassungen und Methoden, Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1962.
  • Aesthetica. Einführung in die neue Aesthetik, Baden-Baden: Agis, 1965.
  • Brasilianische Intelligenz. Eine cartesianische Reflexion, Wiesbaden: Limes, 1965.
  • Semiotik. Allgemeine Theorie der Zeichen, Baden-Baden: Agis, 1967.
  • kleine abstrakte ästhetik (edition rot, text 38), Stuttgart, 1969, 32 pp.
    • "Breve estética abstracta", Convivium 30 (1969), pp 85-102. (in Spanish) [2]
    • Pequena estética, ed. Haroldo de Campos, trans. J. Guinsburg and Ingrid Dormien Koudela, São Paulo: Perspectiva, 1971; 1975; 3rd ed., 2003. (in Portuguese)
  • Einführung in die informationstheoretische Ästhetik. Grundlegung und Anwendung in der Texttheorie, Reinbek bei Hamburg: Rowohlt, 1970.
  • Artistik und Engagement. Präsentation ästhetischer Objekte, Cologne and Berlin: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1970.
  • Die Realität der Literatur. Autoren und ihre Texte, Cologne: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, 1971, 175 pp.
  • Zeichen und Design. Semiotische Ästhetik, Baden-Baden: Agis, 1971.
  • editor, with Elisabeth Walter, Wörterbuch der Semiotik, Cologne, 1973.
  • Semiotische Prozesse und Systeme in Wissenschaftstheorie und Design, Ästhetik und Mathematik. Semiotik vom höheren Standpunkt, Baden-Baden: Agis, 1975.
  • Die Unwahrscheinlichkeit des Ästhetischen und die semiotische Konzeption der Kunst, Baden-Baden: Agis, 1979.
  • Das Auge Epikurs. Indirektes über Malerei, Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, Stuttgart, 1979.
  • Das Universum der Zeichen. Essays über die Expansionen der Semiotik (Internationale Reihe Kybernetik und Information, 14), Baden-Baden: Agis, 1983.
  • Ptolemäer und Mauretanier oder die theologische Emigration der deutschen Literatur, erweitert um eine „Nachbemerkung zur Neuausgabe. Ptolemäer und Mauretanier, noch einmal“, Zürich: Haffmans, 1984.
Philosophy
  • Über Leibniz. Leibniz und seine Ideologie. Der geistige Mensch und die Technik, Jena and Leipzig: Rauch, 1946.
  • Technische Existenz: Essays, Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1949, 250 pp.
  • Descartes und die Folgen – Ein aktueller Traktat, Krefeld and Baden-Baden: Agis, 1955.
  • Ungehorsam der Ideen - Abschließender Traktat über Intelligenz und technische Welt, Cologne: Kiepenheuer & Witsch, Köln, 1965.

Collected writings

  • Ausgewählte Schriften, 4 Volumes, ed. Elisabeth Walther, Stuttgart: Metzler, 1997/98.
    • Bd. 1: Philosophie.
    • Bd. 2: Philosophie der Mathematik, Naturwissenschaft und Technik.
    • Bd. 3: Ästhetik und Texttheorie.
    • Bd. 4: Poetische Texte.

Selected Book chapters, Papers and Articles by Bense

  • "Der geistige Mensch und die Technik", 1946; repr. in Ästhetik als Programm: Max Bense/Daten und Streuungen, Zürich/Berlin: diaphanes, 2004, pp 32-43. [3]
  • "Technische Existenz", in Technische Existenz: Essays, Stuttgart: Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1949; repr. in Ausgewählte Schriften, Bd. 3, 1998, pp 122-146.
  • "Manifest des existentiellen Rationalismus" [1951]; in Ausgewählte Schriften, Bd. 1, 1997, pp 1-4.
  • "Kybernetik oder Die Metatechnik einer neuen Maschine", Merkur (March 1951); repr. in Ausgewählte Schriften, Bd.2, 1998, pp 429-446, n473; repr. in Ästhetik als Programm: Max Bense/Daten und Streuungen, Zürich/Berlin: diaphanes, 2004, pp 50-61.
  • "Kunst in künstlicher Welt", 1956; repr. in Ästhetik als Programm: Max Bense/Daten und Streuungen, Zürich/Berlin: diaphanes, 2004, pp 84-90. [4]
  • "Textästhetik", 1960; repr. in Ästhetik als Programm: Max Bense/Daten und Streuungen, Zürich/Berlin: diaphanes, 2004, pp 106-114. [5]
  • with Reinhard Döhl, "Zur Lage", 1964.
  • "Kunst und Intelligenz", 1965; repr. in Ausgewählte Schriften, Bd. 1, 1997, pp 350-361.
  • "Computergrafik", Kritisches Jahrbuch 1, Stuttgart: W. Niedlich, 1966; repr. in Semiosis 3-4 (1990), pp 3-5. Speech delivered on the opening of Computer-Grafik exhibition in Buchhandlung Wendelin Niedlich in Stuttgart on 5 November 1965.
  • "Ästhetik und Programmierung", 1966; repr. in Ästhetik als Programm: Max Bense/Daten und Streuungen, Zürich/Berlin: diaphanes, 2004, pp 208-213.
  • More literary articles
  • More articles on art
  • More articles on philosophy
  • More

Edited journals

On Bense

Bibliographies

External links

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