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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.