Page 9 - Costellazioni 6

EDITORIAL

The present issue of Costellazioni is devoted to a theme of great con-
temporary relevance. It deals with current ideas of tradition as they
are transformed on the one hand by the fast-paced yet deep-seated
changes of globalization, and on the other by technological innovation;
and how this phenomenon has profoundly and irreversibly shaped
the perception of ourselves and our place in the world in such a brief
space of time.
The matter at hand addresses at its core issues that concern
systems of communication, questions of identity, the relationship
between the individual and social and political contexts, the awareness
and acceptance of ‘other’, and the grounds and modality of represen-
tation. All these facets appear somehow connected to ideas of tradi-
tion; in a word, to an understanding of the past and ultimately of
grasping distance as a workable concept. With regard to linguistics
and literature, the concept of distance cannot be considered as just the
metaphorical equivalent of formal principles involving the mechanics
of selection and canonization procedures. Instead, it should be as-
sessed as the essential condition of any apprehension of the past and
consequent notions of value and discretion. In truth, the day-to-day
we experience eventually passes and somehow becomes related to
‘distance’; to the intuitive act of comparing and appertaining: in other
words, what we call a ‘classic’ embodies this instinct of recognition,
as the bond we establish through its identification implies the conti-
nuity of the power to attribute meaning.
The essays herewith contained confront the possibility of
handling such a power within the framework of the unequalled her-
itage that through the centuries has shaped and is still shaping what
we are and perceive ourselves to be. This is accomplished by under-
scoring the responsibility of assessing meaning as much as by the active
consciousness of its implications in terms of evaluating ends and con-
sequences. Therefore, having an effective relationship with the ‘classics’
and what they represent means being capable to determine the bearing

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