Principles of literary criticismRichards, I. A. (Ivor Armstrong)
Philosophy
Principles of literary criticism
Richards, I. A. (Ivor Armstrong)
Criticism
The theory of value outlined above indicates some of these differences.
If the artist’s organisation is such as to allow him a fuller
life than the average, with less unnecessary interference between
its component impulses, then plainly we should do well to be
more like him, _if we can_ and as far as we can. But the
qualification, _if we can_, has far-reaching consequences.
Politically it _might_ be better for the community to be
organised on the model of ant and bee communities, but, since
it cannot, the question whether we should try to make it so does
not arise. Similarly, if the artist’s organisation[65] is so eccentric
as to make general approximation to it impossible, or if a general
approximation would involve (people being what they are) greater
losses than gains, then however admirable it may be in itself,
we shall be justified in neglecting it. The case, if it indeed
occurs, is exceptional but instructive theoretically. What is
excellent and what is to be imitated are not necessarily the
same. But it is interesting to note that mentalities to which
the usual and ordinary man is not capable of approximating without
loss can almost always be shown to be defective, and that the
defects themselves are the barrier to approximation. Certain
mystical poets are perhaps as good an example of this as any.
However admirable the experience of a Boehme or a Blake, of a
Nietzsche or of the Apocalypst, the features which prevent general
participation in it, the barriers to communication, are not the
features upon which its value chiefly depends. It is the inchoate
part of Blake’s personality which makes him incomprehensible,
not the parts which were better organised than those of every
one else.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account