Abstract

As a former student of philosophy, Robert Musil kept measuring himself against philosophy and its specific challenges. If he uncompromisingly criticizes the esprit de système, conceptual abstraction, and nebulous speculations, his essayistic and novelistic project remains nevertheless driven by philosophical ambitions. With its experimental dimension, Musil's alternative philosophy promotes intellectual vigilance, clarity, and attentiveness to the ordinary world. It also encourages the ability to think for oneself at one's own pace. This intellectual adventure remains open to conjectures and to forays into indeterminacy.