Mohammad Ghaffary,
Volume 10, Issue 38 (8-2017)
Abstract
Although since classical times philosophical reflections on the nature and functions of literature have not been uncommon, the “philosophy of literature,” as a separate discipline or field, is a new phenomenon. The two approaches distinguished in Western philosophy since about a century ago, i.e., analytic vs. Continental philosophy, can be observed in philosophy of literature as well. Adopting a comparative method, this essay first examines the differences between analytic and Continental philosophy and, then, those between analytic and Continental philosophy of literature. The focus of this essay is on the analytic philosophy of literature since it seems this kind of philosophy, with its logical and realist method of conceptual analysis, can help us better in understanding the nature and functions of literature. The basic claim of this essay, then, is that Continental philosophy of literature is itself another manifestation of literature and only increases the ambiguity and mystification of the concept of literature. In order to give meaning to life and consequently to literature, Continental philosophers, like literary creators, have recourse to “metaphysical or logocentric metaphors” and “philosophical fictions.” However, the products of these attempts almost have the same functions and effects as those of literature. Of course, this is not to deny the value of the Continental approach; rather, as discussed at the end of the essay, in my view, what we need more in the current critical situation in Iran is analytic philosophy of literature rather than Continental philosophy of literature, because by concentrating on the analysis of the concept of literature and other related concepts the analytic approach prepares the ground for acquiring a more precise understanding of this field, and it is only then that we can adopt the Continental method for exploring the other aspects of literature.
Haleh Kiany,
Volume 16, Issue 63 (12-2023)
Abstract
The discipline of literature in the prestigious universities of the world is progressing with up-to-date and practical topics. In the new era, the university has become an entrepreneurial institution that focuses on the production of thought, innovation, idea-centeredness and creativity, the use of interdisciplinary capacities and having thinking in interaction with the world. Meanwhile, the academic field of literature in many advanced universities is trying to address the new approaches of university, a topic that is reflected in the study of literature topics in this university. Nevertheless, these universities continue to seek greater academic legitimacy. The debates that began 150 years ago in areas such as the definition of literature as an academic discipline and the scientific nature of literary research are still ongoing. Stein Haugham Olsen is a professor of English literature and the author of many books and articles in world-renowned journals on the philosophy of literature, literary aesthetics, and so on. In this article, he seeks to examine the evolution of "literary studies" and traces this discussion from the discussions that began in the 1880s at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge on the academic nature of literature and literary criticism to recent decades. Olsen's article emphasizes that literary studies, if it seeks to discover the meaning of literary works, to obtain that meaning in any way with any theory, is ultimately what any good reader can do.
