engleski

How Literature Became Art: Analytic Philosophy's Perspective

This paper traces the origin and sketches historical development of what is nowadays recognized as a distinctive field of study called analytic philosophy of literature. Unique in its emphasis on the art-status of literary works, rather than on their capacities to inspire emotions, inform us or convey moral insights, analytic philosophy of literature is mostly concerned with explaining a distinctive type of literary value. A lot of theoretical work goes into this, starting with the question of distinguishing literature from other forms of writing, such as fiction or philosophy, and culminating with the question of the proper modes of attending to works of literature. However, it took a long time for literature to become an art form in its own right and my aim here is to highlight some of the crucial theoretical ideas that enabled it to gain this status. I argue that analytic philosophy of literature developed against the background of several other disciplines, most notably literary theory, as a reaction to what was interpreted as instrumentalization of literature and a neglect of its aesthetic appeal and artistic merit. I give special attention to the influence that analytic aesthetics exhibited over theoretical discussions of literature. Analysis along these lines reveals a long-lasting resistance of both, philosophers and literary theoreticians, to address literature-as-art, worthy of a treatment in its own right. To corroborate my claims, I turn to poetry, the latest literary form to capture the attention and inspire appreciation of analytic philosopher of literature.

Art, analytic philosophy, aesthetics, appreciation, literature, literary theory

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