Original scientific paper
Who is the author of Political Sparkles – Ivan Mažuranić, Ante Starčević or ...?
Pavo Barišić
; Institut za filozofiju, Zagreb / Filozofski fakultet Sveučilišta u Splitu, Hrvatska
Abstract
This paper questions the authorship of the series of 24 aphorisms published under the title Political Sparkles. The text was printed in the first Croatian oppositional democratic journal Slavenski Jug from 10 December 1848 to 20 January 1849 and signed by the initials of the first and the last letter of the Latin alphabet – A. Z. Half a century ago, Josip Horvat ascribed the authorship of this series of aphorisms to the poet and lawyer Ivan Mažuranić (1814–1890). The attribution became afterwards predominant in the research literature. However, an attentive analysis of the text brought to an interesting discovery.
Attitudes and expressions in these aphorisms are more prone to the discourse of the young philosophy doctor Ante Starčević (1823–1896) than to that of the famous writer from Novi Vinodolski. The paper first sets out several reasons in favour of the hypothesis of the possible authorship of Mažuranić, and then outlines the evidences that prove that his authorship is contestable or improbable. Further research has shown that the series Political Sparcles abounds in phrases and constructions that are recognisable in the works of both authors, but after numerous comparisons and insights they appear more frequently in the petitions, addresses, epistles and articles of Starčević. A detailed analysis of the text shows that the ideas are closer to those in the works and authors that were read and studied by the rebel from Lika Starčević. Comparison between the attitudes of the two writers brings to light not only a striking proximity and a similarity of style, but also a closeness of their arguments that might have placed excellent experts on the horns of dilemma. The exposed arguments lead to the conclusion that the style, language, form, content, views, and messages of the Political Sparkles with regard to their whole opus of the two authors speak considerably more in favour of the anachorete from Žitnik. That is the answer to the question in the title – the author is not the poet and barrister Ivan Mažuranić, but in all likelihood the philosophy doctor and champion for Croatian state rights Ante Starčević.
Keywords
political sparkles; aphorism; authorship; philosophy of law; Mažuranić; Starčević
Hrčak ID:
154510
URI
Publication date:
18.2.2016.
Visits: 2.038 *