Joan Fuster Aphorisms

Antonio Cortijo-Rodgers

(University of California)

Fuster’s Aforisms and the Tradition of Ἀφορισμός/Aphorismi

Joan Fuster offers us in Poetry, aphorisms, Diary, Vignettes and Drawings a collection of maxims, apothegms, and aphorisms that constitute a series of philosophical reflections on a variety of topics. The author purposely rejects a fully developed narrative style as well as a more methodical and comprehensive approach to the presentation of his ideas. Instead, he chooses the seemingly innocuous and more humble style of the laconic and brief note to offer us what could be termed his inconsequential musings on life. But Fuster is not alone in this way of approaching the essay and the philosophical genre. In fact, he belongs to a long list of philosophers who have prioritized this form and style in their writings, from the classical Greek and Roman period, to more contemporary examples.

The word ἀφορισμός derives from the verb ἀφορίζω, ‘to mark off’, ‘to divide’, ‘to distinguish’. In turn, the word is a composite of the prefix ἀπό-, ‘from’, and the verb ὁρίζω, ‘to define’, ‘to bound’. The Oxford Dictionary defines an aphorism as “a pithy observation that contains a general truth, such as, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’”. It can also be “a concise statement of a scientific principle, typically by an ancient classical author.” Some synonyms are “sayings”, “maxims”, “axioms”, “adages”, “precepts”, “epigrams”, “dictums”, “gnomes”, “proverbs”, or “apothegms”, among others. Aphorisms state principles, general truths or sentiments in a dazzling, terse way. Joan Fuster is fascinated by this genre, as proven by the fact that before Poetry, Aphorisms, Diary, Vignettes and Drawings he had published another book of aphorisms entitled Advice, Proverbs, Impertinences. His own definition and conceptualization of an aphorism is included in the former title as follows:

These notes, brief and sometimes epigrammatic, are a continuation of the book Consells, proverbis i insolències that I published in 1968. I have many more in the drawer. I have not made a hasty selection, and I would not want anybody to interpret this one as particularly significant. To write an aphorism is usually a slow process, costly in rectifications, perplex in ratifications, responsible for the nuances of some word or other. It is an archaic and not very fashionable «literary genre», although they fascinate me. They are one more «paper hat», which only aspires to have the interests of a personal «point of view» in mind. Contradictory? Perhaps, perhaps not. And I do not care.