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Ku tomistycznej teorii literatury
Toward a Thomist Literary Theory

Author(s): Maciej Sobiech
Subject(s): Philosophy, Language and Literature Studies, History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Middle Ages, Theory of Literature
Published by: Naukowe Towarzystwo Tomistyczne
Keywords: Thomism; literary theory; poetic intuition; metaphysics; metaphysical qualities; Jacques Maritain; interpretation; causes

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the paper is to formulate a more or less coherent proposition of a literary theory philosophically based on Thomism. The first part of the essay contains a short characteristic of the general relations between literary theory and philosophy along with a justification of the sensibility of the goal chosen. The second part is a short presentation of the manner the question of literature and its interpretation has been hitherto treated among the Thomists. For the purpose of brevity, it is done in an “exemplary” fashion, by reference to the thought of the two outstanding French Thomists: Etienne Gilson and Jacques Maritain. The third part is devoted to what is most essential for the work, namely: to an at-tempt at presenting a relatively coherent Thomist literary theory, in which attempt the concept of poetic intuition, coined by Maritain, plays a significant role. The text finds its conclusion in several remarks about the general benefits that could be drawn from applying the philosophical thought inspired by the heritage of Thomas Aquinas in literary studies.

  • Issue Year: 1/2022
  • Issue No: 11
  • Page Range: 245-260
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: Polish