'Touch me not': a museum lesson on truth

In this study I examine Jean-Luc Nancy's interpretation of the biblical scene of Noli me tangere (Touch me not), focusing on the "Do Not Touch" sign in museums. Nancy analyses the scene where Jesus prohibits Mary Magdalene from touching him after the resurrection. I attempt to explore...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inEthics and education Vol. 20; no. 2-3; pp. 293 - 305
Main Author Yun, SunInn
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Routledge 03.07.2025
Subjects
Museum
post-truth
school
touch
truth
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:In this study I examine Jean-Luc Nancy's interpretation of the biblical scene of Noli me tangere (Touch me not), focusing on the "Do Not Touch" sign in museums. Nancy analyses the scene where Jesus prohibits Mary Magdalene from touching him after the resurrection. I attempt to explore its correlation with the experiential aspect of truth. This pursuit gains significance against the backdrop of the contemporary political and technological milieu, characterised by the pervasive influence of post-truth across global political landscapes. I reinterpret the common museum sign 'Do not touch' in terms of the limits of contact and related aspects of the body. This study suggests that the grammar of museum exhibition, which prohibits touching but encourages approaching, is related to enhancing our ethical attitudes towards recognising the meaning of truth and interacting with objects and others, thereby providing an educational experience at museums and schools.
ISSN:1744-9642
1744-9650
DOI:10.1080/17449642.2025.2519957