The International Symposium “The Failed Text” aims to analyze exemplary textual failures in the history of discourses, and their repercussions (or lack thereof) in the textual development of historical, political, philosophical, media-related and literary discourses.

We are interested in research that looks into how the trajectory of such discourses up until our days has not exclusively been a succession of successful proposals either by a high proportion of the population or by intellectual, economic or social elites.

On the contrary, we want to investigate how the history of discourses emerges out of failed projects, unwelcome innovative attempts and instances of deep personal frustration that, at best, have only been vindicated and praised after the death of their devisors.

In other words, the present symposium will make manifest that the history of discourse (including the present time) is abundant in absolute failures that have in some cases found acceptance and gained influence with time.