Solitude: From Alienation to Enstasy in Urban Cultures

Julian Stern

The philosophy of solitude is complex, and how solitude is presented culturally – especially in art, literature and music – illuminates at least as well as academicstudies how solitude is experienced. This paper focuses on the philosophy of solitude as experienced over the last two centuries of largely urban solitude. It explores the culturally-mediated negative experiences of urban alienation and loneliness, and the positive experiences of healthful urban solitude and enstasy – the latter meaning to be comfortable within oneself (in contrast to ecstasy, escaping from oneself). Drawing on a range of work on solitude in general, the philosophy of solitude, and specific work on the culture of solitude, this paper shows, speaks, and sounds of the variety of solitudes.

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