Comparing Plath's The Bell Jar And Fahren
How to Write Philosophical Literature
Introduction
Writing a novel with the intent of incorporating a philosophical theme can be one of the most daunting tasks for a philosopher. Due to the difficulty in portraying abstract themes in way that is both relatable and entertaining to the average reader, very few philosophers venture outside of the bounds of non-fiction. However, by masterfully utilizing the proper literary elements and settings presented in books such as Albert Camus’s “The Stranger,” Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar,” and Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451,” a philosophical novel will be considered a masterpiece that overshadows countless other literary works.
While there is arguably no correct way to write philosophical literature, …show more content…
“Given the perceived desirability of calm, enduring affections over wayward, fleeting passions in eighteenth-century moral philosopher treatises, it is curious to observe that in literary theoretical treatises of the same period, we find that the virtues of passion are loudly extolled, but that there is a notable indifference to, even silence about, affection.” (Joy) Before nineteenth-century secularism, emotional vocabulary was more varied. The tradeoff is to use affection, a choice like reason, but also a passion like emotion. (Joy) In layman’s terms, science has removed the emotions associated with philosophical literature. “By way of contrast literary cognition is non-propositional. It is the result of specifically literary devices, i.e. meaning-generating elements of the text’s form such as plot, perspective, foregrounding and more basic textual features like syntax, diction and style.” (Muller) The process of obtaining knowledge through philosophy is logical argument and deduction. An accurate proposition must be proven by logical operations. Therefore, ethics are determined by logic when using a philosophical perspective. Because of literature’s ability to present ethical situations, problems, and dilemmas, many philosophers have directed their attention to its analysis. However, philosophers should put narration in their philosophical work if they want it to be successful. (Muller) Knowledge alone cannot make an ideal philosophical novel. A thorough understanding of literature and literary elements is required to make it
Introduction
Writing a novel with the intent of incorporating a philosophical theme can be one of the most daunting tasks for a philosopher. Due to the difficulty in portraying abstract themes in way that is both relatable and entertaining to the average reader, very few philosophers venture outside of the bounds of non-fiction. However, by masterfully utilizing the proper literary elements and settings presented in books such as Albert Camus’s “The Stranger,” Sylvia Plath’s “The Bell Jar,” and Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451,” a philosophical novel will be considered a masterpiece that overshadows countless other literary works.
While there is arguably no correct way to write philosophical literature, …show more content…
“Given the perceived desirability of calm, enduring affections over wayward, fleeting passions in eighteenth-century moral philosopher treatises, it is curious to observe that in literary theoretical treatises of the same period, we find that the virtues of passion are loudly extolled, but that there is a notable indifference to, even silence about, affection.” (Joy) Before nineteenth-century secularism, emotional vocabulary was more varied. The tradeoff is to use affection, a choice like reason, but also a passion like emotion. (Joy) In layman’s terms, science has removed the emotions associated with philosophical literature. “By way of contrast literary cognition is non-propositional. It is the result of specifically literary devices, i.e. meaning-generating elements of the text’s form such as plot, perspective, foregrounding and more basic textual features like syntax, diction and style.” (Muller) The process of obtaining knowledge through philosophy is logical argument and deduction. An accurate proposition must be proven by logical operations. Therefore, ethics are determined by logic when using a philosophical perspective. Because of literature’s ability to present ethical situations, problems, and dilemmas, many philosophers have directed their attention to its analysis. However, philosophers should put narration in their philosophical work if they want it to be successful. (Muller) Knowledge alone cannot make an ideal philosophical novel. A thorough understanding of literature and literary elements is required to make it