Historicizing the Enlightenment, Volume 2: Literature, the Arts, and the Aesthetic in Britain

The modern view of art and literature, according to Enlightenment critics, involves a double reflection of the world and the process by which it is reflected. "Neoclassicism" and "Augustanism" have been falsely interpreted as involving a one-dimensional imitation of classical texts and an unselfconscious representation of the world. Romanticism and modernism have appropriated these innovations, but they ground their error in a misreading of "imitation" as understood by Aristotle and his Enlightenment proponents. Neoclassical imitation is an experimental inquiry that generates a range of prefixes that mark formal degrees of its epistemological detachment.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 268 pages
Publication date: 14 July 2023
Publisher: Bucknell University Press,U.S.

Critics of the Enlightenment, ranging from Dryden to Johnson and Wordsworth, held a groundbreaking perspective that art, particularly literature, involves a dual reflection: one that captures the essence of the world and another that delves into the very process of creating that reflection. It is a misconception to label "neoclassicism" and "Augustanism" as mere imitations of classical texts and unreflexive representations of reality. Instead, these Enlightenment movements adopted an oblique angle, recognizing the gap between the past and its present reenactment, as well as the distinction between representation and presence.

Two contemporary movements, Romanticism and modernism, have embraced these innovations, which stem from Enlightenment thought. However, both of these movements have fallen prey to a misinterpretation of Aristotle's concept of imitation. Properly understood, neoclassical imitation is an experimental pursuit that yields a variety of prefixes, such as "counter," "mock," "anti," and "neo," which signify the varying degrees of its epistemological detachment. Romantic ideology disregarded the role of imagination in Enlightenment imitation, imposing a binary classification on the eighteenth century: duplication versus imagination, the mirror versus the lamp. Structuralist ideology further divided narration and description, form and content, structure and history. Poststructuralist ideology, in turn, proposed a contradictory "novel tradition" that encompasses realism, modernism, postmodernism, and postcolonialism, each stage claiming the innovation of the preceding stage.

In conclusion, the Enlightenment critics' vision of art and literature as a double reflection, encompassing both the world and the process of its representation, has profoundly shaped our understanding of artistic expression. Romanticism and modernism, while borrowing from these insights, have inadvertently misconstrued the concept of imitation, leading to distinct approaches to artistic creation. By recognizing the complexities and nuances of Enlightenment thought, we can gain a deeper appreciation for the rich tapestry of artistic movements that have emerged throughout history.

Dimension: 235 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781684484751