The Ethical and the Aesthetic in Literature: What’s Missing in the Ethical Criticism Debate
Loading...
Authors
May, Zachary
Date
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
Philosophy of Literature , Philosophy of Aesthetics , Aestheticism , Ethical Criticism
Alternative Title
Abstract
This thesis will examine the ethical criticism debate within the philosophy of literature, with a focus on the interaction between ethical and aesthetic value in works of literary art. It is clear that works can be criticized and praised for their technical elements such as plot, theme, characterization, narrative style, point of view, and others. Most literary works (and indeed nearly all works of narrative fiction) also have ethical content to consider in addition to the technical elements. At the heart of the ethical criticism debate is the question of how to incorporate ethical content into aesthetic judgements about a literary work’s aesthetic value. This issue is known as the interaction problem.
After a critical overview of the existing debate, the thesis will argue for four important definitions to keep any ethical criticism discussion unambiguous: aesthetic quality, technical feature, aesthetically relevant ethical content, and aesthetically neutral ethical content. I argue that the aesthetic quality of a work is a ‘gestalt’ property which is the subject of an aesthetic evaluation, and which can consist of both technical qualities and aesthetically relevant ethical content. This framework will not be a universal claim about all narrative works and all ethical content. As aesthetically neutral ethical content suggests, some works will have ethical content which does not factor into that work’s aesthetic quality. Ethical content may take the form of a specific viewpoint the work seemingly endorses. We may agree with the endorsement, but perhaps it is too heavy-handed and harms the work’s aesthetic value. Ethical content may take the form of placing the reader in imagined situations which contain ethical themes, and this ethically significant imagining elevates the work’s aesthetic value. The thesis will therefore stress the variety of forms ethical content can take and the variety of effects that content can have on a work’s aesthetic value, avoiding absolutes that create contradictions when evaluating broad ranges of literary works.
Description
Citation
Publisher
License
Queen's University's Thesis/Dissertation Non-Exclusive License for Deposit to QSpace and Library and Archives Canada
ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.