The Intelligent Unconscious in Modernist Literature and Science

This book explores the philosophical, psychological, and literary representations of the unconscious in the early twentieth century, focusing on the works of D. H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf, and T.S. Eliot. It argues that the intelligent unconscious, an agent capable of judgments and thoughts, influenced modernist thinkers and writers, particularly in its ability to foster creativity and artistic novelty.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 222 pages
Publication date: 30 May 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book offers a fresh and comprehensive reassessment of the philosophical, psychological, and literary representations of the unconscious in the early twentieth century. This period stands out in the history of responses to the unconscious due to the emergence of a line of thought that posits the unconscious as an intelligent agent capable of making judgments and forming its own thoughts. The roots of this theory can be traced back to nineteenth-century British physiologists. Despite the abundance of studies on modernist theories regarding the relationship between the unconscious and conscious cognition, the extent to which the notion of the intelligent unconscious influenced modernist thinkers and writers remains relatively understudied. This study aims to transcend the Freudian framework and explore the significance of this way of thinking about the unconscious and its relationship to consciousness during this era. It is noteworthy that, despite our tendency to overlook the importance of this perspective, modernist writers widely adopted it. The intelligent unconscious held particular appeal to literary authors, as it is intricately linked to creativity and artistic novelty through its ability to transcend discursive logic.

The book primarily focuses on the works of D. H. Lawrence, Virginia Woolf, and T.S. Eliot, authors who engaged with the concept of the intelligent unconscious, reworked it, and presented it to the general public in diverse ways and for various purposes, whether aesthetic, philosophical, societal, or ideological.

Shortlisted for the Modernist Studies Association (MSA) First Book Prize and for the 2021 British Society for Literature and Science Book Prize, this book is a valuable contribution to the field of modernist studies. It provides a comprehensive exploration of the unconscious in early twentieth-century literature and offers new insights into the ways in which modernist writers approached this complex and enigmatic subject matter.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367550905