Historicism Once More - text

Introduction to Historicism

• Miguel de Unamuno emphasizes the importance of historical consciousness in understanding self-identity and society, suggesting historical examination reveals truth.

• T. S. Eliot posits that understanding the life of another age brings insight into one's own life.

Inquiry into Literature

• Georg Simmel asks foundational questions in sociology that can be applied to literature:

  • How is literature possible?

  • What is literature?

• The exploration of these questions leads to deeper inquiries about the essence of literature and its role

  • Proposes a need to redefine criticism as it relates to history.

• Literature should be understood as a profound way to grasp historical oppositions within human experience.

Dialectical Nature of Literature

• The relationship between literature and history involves recognizing dualities:

  • Critical purism vs. pragmatic criticism

  • Autonomous vs. instrumental functions of literature

• Suggests a narrative around literature that acknowledges dialectical tensions rather than striving for synthesis.

• Emphasizes that the literary work reflects the ongoing opposition between contrasting categories, enriching the interpretation of art and life.

Historicism Defined

• Historicist Criticism:

  • Examines literature as a living entity that emerges from historical contexts.

  • Recognizes the historical cultivation of narratives, moving away from purely structural interpretations.

• The literary work is understood as a dynamic representation that channels historical essence into the present.

• Acknowledges positivism’s pitfalls that lead to extreme relativism versus an idealistic view of history.

The Role of Language

• Language in literature serves as the conveyance for history, shaping how we perceive reality.

• Critiques the formalist perspective that disconnects language from its historical roots and cultural values.

• Proposes a historical inquiry of language as crucial for understanding literature.

Mytho-historical Critique

• The need for a structural critique of literary works based on their historical and cultural contexts.

• Identification of major critics (e.g., New Critics) who have traditionally avoided historical engagement, emphasizing stylistic analysis.

• Contradicts the idea that literature functions only as abstract art, advocating for integration back into historical discourse.

Wholeness in Literary Works

• Wholeness:

  • Should encapsulate both cultural particulars and universal human qualities.

  • This wholeness reflects the author's and culture’s sense of self and reality.

• Criticism seeks to evaluate works based on their ability to manifest both historical detail and universal human experience.

The Interplay Between History and Literature

• Literature must be seen as:

  • A reflection of its historical context, engaging with its cultural and temporal conditions.

  • A means to comprehend past lives and cultural narratives that shape present identities.

Commitment to Humanitas

• The notion of humanitas denotes the universal qualities of human experience framed by specific historical conditions.

• Literature brings to light a complex interplay between the eternal aspects of our shared humanity and the contingent nature of our cultural expressions.

• Reflects on the fragile balance between historical specificity and universal themes in literature.

Conclusion: The Function of Historicism

• Historicism allows critics to:

  • Rediscover the past, examine how literature shapes, and is shaped by, historical contexts.

  • Re-establish connections between literature and the values embedded in the culture of their origin.

• Reinforces the view that literature is not confined to history but is a vital medium through which human experiences are explored and acknowledged.

• Calls for a balanced approach that respects the dualities and complexities of understanding literature in its historical milieu.