Presence, Face and Nature: Max Picard and Ludwig Klages

The presence of the face has a stabilising virtue as regards time and space. Compare the following passage in Max Picard, in which presence and eternity are succeeded by ‘temporarily’ expectant time and space.

“So warten Zeit und Raum still vor der Gegenwärtigkeit des Menschengesichtes, sie warten, dass die Ewigkeit hier zu ihnen trete.

“Das Menschengesicht aber steht da wie ein Platzhalter der Ewigkeit, ruhig und strahlend.

“Dann auf einmal haben Zeit und Raum lange genug gewartet, sie hören auf, stille zu stehen und brechen wieder auf. Aber die Zeit bewegt sich rhythmischer nun, wenn sie hier gewartet hat, und der Raum dehnt sich jetzt geordneter als vorher in seine Weite.
“Das ist das Geschenk der Gegenwärtigkeit an den Menschen: er ist durch sie aus Zeit und Raum herausgehoben”.[1]

As appears from this passage, presence is a qualitative category, both affecting time and space with relativity (‘surrounding’ them with presence), and inculcating them with content. The encounter with presence transforms time and space, endows them with order and rhythm. Rhythm vivifies time, gives it pulsation.

We may think here of the impression any encounter leaves us with, be it strong or subtle. An encounter may be impressive, inasmuch as it could make us ‘fall’ in love. Also, it could confuse, comfort, frighten, stir, etc., its recipients. Significantly, people often start counting as of a meaningful encounter’s occurrence, e.g. Anno Domini (as of the birth of Jesus), age (as of birth), wedding anniversary, etc.; or they organise the world according to ‘holy places’ (Jerusalem, Mecca, Lumbini, etc.). As if spatio-temporal divisions and distributions other than those based on a meaningful encounter do not really ‘count’.

In Grenzen der Physiognomik Picard comes back on the presence character of the countenance. This time, however, he insists on the creative, realising virtue of the act of loving observation. 

“Die Liebe erst verwirklicht ein Menschengesicht.”[2] 

Contempt for someone’s face will make that face invisible.

Ludwig Klages likewise insists on the relation between space and face: 

“In the facial image of space [Im Gesichtsbild des Raumes], a Now becomes ostensively present which expands itself into duration.”[3]

Similar to Picard, he underlines that space is “a present which can be experienced” (erlebbare Gegenwart).[4] Other than Picard, however, Klages seems to discern a face in space (that is, in ‘sensuous space’ – Sinnenraum –, as opposed to object space – Sachraum). 

We are confronted here with the interesting alternative between ‘nature’ (Klages) and ‘personhood’ (Picard). If a hierarchy can be established at all, so I would argue, it would have to follow, firstly, the degree of ‘order’ which will have been created by either of these (“der Raum dehnt sich jetzt geordneter als vorher in seine Weite”, my italics), and secondly, the degree of expansion which space will be reaching (“der Raum dehnt sich jetzt … in seine Weite”, my italics).

Unless an original overlap can be found between space and face. Perhaps speech creates such an overlap.

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[1] Max Picard, Das Menschengesicht, p. 142.

[2] Grenzen der Physiognomik, p. 97.

[3] “Im Gesichtsbild des Raumes wird uns anschaulich gegenwärtig das sich zur Dauer dehnende Jetzt.” Der Geist als Widersacher der Seele, p. 331 (my trans.).

[4] Ib., p. 321.