Monroe Curtis Beardsley
Quick Summary
Monroe Curtis Beardsley was an American critic known for his significant contributions to literary criticism and aesthetics. He, along with W.K. Wimsatt, is credited with developing the concept of the intentional fallacy, arguing that a work of art should be interpreted based on the work itself, not the artist's intentions. Beardsley's work emphasized the importance of analyzing the aesthetic object and its inherent meanings. He was associated with the New Criticism movement, which focused on close reading and the intrinsic qualities of a literary text, often advocating for art as an end in itself (autotelism).123
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
- intentional fallacy
, and Monroe C. Beardsley in The Verbal Icon (1954), the approach was a reaction to the popular belief that to know what the author intendedâwhat he had in mind at the time of writingâwas to know the correct interpretation of the work. Although a seductive topicâŠ
Read More, and Monroe C. Beardsley in The Verbal Icon (1954), the approach was a reaction to the popular belief that to know what the author intendedâwhat he had in mind at the time of writingâwas to know the correct interpretation of the work. Although a seductive topicâŠ
Read More
aestheticsTaste, criticism, and judgmentWimsatt and Monroe C. Beardsley, however, argued that there is a fallacy (the so-called intentional fallacy) involved in this approach. What is to be interpreted is the work of art itself, not the intentions of the artist, which are hidden from us and no subject for ourâŠ
Read MoreWimsatt and Monroe C. Beardsley, however, argued that there is a fallacy (the so-called intentional fallacy) involved in this approach. What is to be interpreted is the work of art itself, not the intentions of the artist, which are hidden from us and no subject for ourâŠ
Read More- intentionality
Wimsatt and Monroe Beardsley questioned further the value of searching for authorial intention. Other critics such as E.D. Hirsch, Jr., stressed that knowledge of the authorâs intention is necessary for determining a workâs success; without that knowledge, he argued, it is impossible to determine whether the workâŠ
Read MoreWimsatt and Monroe Beardsley questioned further the value of searching for authorial intention. Other critics such as E.D. Hirsch, Jr., stressed that knowledge of the authorâs intention is necessary for determining a workâs success; without that knowledge, he argued, it is impossible to determine whether the workâŠ
Read More