engleski

What do we owe to a literary work of art?

Ever since poets, men of letters and philosophers managed to silence the criticism issued by Plato to the arts generally and poetry (literature) in particular, there have been numerous accounts explaining the value of literature. Whether in light of its ability to inspire aesthetic delight and emotional arousal, or due to cognitive lessons and moral insights it provides, hardly anyone would claim nowadays that literature is not worth attending to. But what does that exactly mean? On the one hand, if literature is valuable, it seems we have reasons to pursue literary experiences, and to do so in a way that will enable us to get the maximum out of it. Yet, given the variety of ways in which we can engage with literature, it is worth asking, what is the proper way of doing so? On the other hand, if we fail to pursue literary experiences or if we attend to literary works in some way which fails to do justice to them, what harm is thereby produced and to whom? I accommodate this set of questions within an ontological axis, where the dominant question concerns the very definition of literature and its distinction from other literary forms, and an evaluative axis, where we search to explain literature’s value by elaborating on the distinctive kind of aesthetic experience it affords. To support the theoretical concerns of this research, I draw on the theories of literature developed by Derek Attridge, who claims that there is an ethical dimension involved in reading, by Peter Lamarque and Stein Haugom Olsen, who insist on the importance of literary stance and ‘appreciation’ for the proper engagement with literature, and by Peter Kivy, who claims literature is about a good story, rather than aesthetic delight

appreciation (literary), literature, value

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