The autonomy of literature
In this thesis, I present a new argument for the autonomy of literature. The conclusion that literature is autonomous is a claim that there is, first, a distinctively literary value, and second, that this distinctively literary value is independent of the other values associated with literature. In Part I, I enumerate the premises of my argument, distinguishing between final and instrumental value on the one hand and non-relational and relational value on the other. I accept literature as characteristically fictional and literary works as institutional objects. I argue for two different instantiations of form-content inseparability, poetic thickness and narrative thickness, which I then subsume under the concept of literary thickness. Part II argues that there are two conflicting interests that can be taken in literary works, the formal and the substantive, and that these are reconciled in the integrative standpoint. I contend that the integrative standpoint is characteristic of literary appreciation and that the distinctively literary value is the literary satisfaction that accompanies the experience of a literary work. I complete my argument by establishing a necessary relation between the integrative standpoint
McGregor, Rafe
The autonomy of literature. In this thesis, I present a new argument for the autonomy of literature. The conclusion that literature is autonomous is a claim that there is, first, a distinctively literary value, and second, that this distinctively literary value is independent of the other values associated with literature. In Part I, I enumerate the premises of my argument, distinguishing between final and instrumental value on the one hand and non-relational and relational value on the other. I accept literature as characteristically fictional and literary works as institutional objects. I argue for two different instantiations of form-content inseparability, poetic thickness and narrative thickness, which I then subsume under the concept of literary thickness. Part II argues that there are two conflicting interests that can be taken in literary works, the formal and the substantive, and that these are reconciled in the integrative standpoint. I contend that the integrative standpoint is characteristic of literary appreciation and that the distinctively literary value is the literary satisfaction that accompanies the experience of a literary work. I complete my argument by establishing a necessary relation between the integrative standpoint
autonomy literature present_new argument autonomy literature conclusion literature autonomous claim first distinctively literary value second distinctively literary value independent value associate literature part enumerate premise_argument distinguish final instrumental value one_hand non relational relational value other accept literature characteristically fictional literary_work institutional object argue two_different instantiation form_content poetic thickness narrative thickness subsume concept literary thickness part argue conflicting interest take literary_work formal substantive reconcile integrative standpoint contend integrative standpoint characteristic literary appreciation distinctively literary value literary satisfaction experience literary_work complete argument establish necessary relation integrative standpoint