PHILOSOPHY, LITERATURE AND THE HUMAN GOOD ‘Weston’s book is admirable at a number of levels. It includes readings of Bataille, Blanchot and Derrida that are as lucid as I have seen. It also offers one of the first serious engagements with the influential work of Murdoch, Nussbaum, Cavell and Rorty. On top of this, Weston advances a bold thesis of his own about the ethical significance of philosophy and literature. Written in a clear and rigorous style, Weston’s book is strongly recommended for anyone with an interest in the relations between philosophy, literature and ethics.’ Nicholas Smith, Macquarie University Philosophy, Literature and the Human Good is an exciting and challenging new interpretation of the elements of literature which concern our reflections on, and choices about, what constitutes the good life. Philosophy has grap- pled with the significance of literature since Plato, particularly as literature seems to show us life in terms of values it cannot itself justify. Michael Weston examines these relationships and the role of literature as it has been addressed by both the analytic and continental traditions. He initi- ates a dialogue between them and explores the growing importance of these issues for major contemporary thinkers. Each chapter explores a philosopher or literary figure who has written on the relationship between literature and the good life such as Bataille, Derrida and Kierkegaard, contemporary philosophers including Rorty and Nussbaum, and literary writers such as Murdoch and Blanchot. Philosophy, Literature and the Human Good is ideal for all students of philosophy and literature. It is an insightful and prov- ocative examination of the philosophical, moral and religious significance of literature. Michael Weston is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Essex. PHILOSOPHY, LITERATURE AND THE HUMAN GOOD Michael Weston London and New York First published 2001 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2004. © 2001 Michael Weston All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Weston, Michael, 1946– Philosophy, literature, and the human good / Michael Weston. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Literature and morals. 2. Literature, Modern–History and criticism. I. Title. PN49 .W44 2001 174′.98–dc21 00–051721 ISBN 0-203-16446-6 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-25859-2 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0–415–24337–8 (hbk) ISBN 0–415–24338–6 (pbk) Untuk keluargaku, Margaret, Will dan James – dan Tuan Jim, permulaannya masih. CONTENTS Preface viii Introduction ix 1 Life as Art: Kant, Schlegel, Nietzsche 1 2 Georges Bataille: the impossible 19 3 Maurice Blanchot: literature’s space 37 4 Jacques Derrida: the staging of deconstruction 51 5 Iris Murdoch: the transcendent good 69 6 Martha Nussbaum: moral fortune 84 7 Richard Rorty: philosophy as literature 100 8 Stanley Cavell: language, therapy and perfectionism 114 9 A Kierkegaardian intervention 132 10 D. Z. Phillips: the mediation of sense 140 11 A concluding reading: Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim 156 Notes 177 Bibliography 195 Index 197 vii PREFACE This book aims to provide an introduction to the thought of some recent and contemporary thinkers, European, American and British, who have given to literature a central role in philosophical reflection. Some, indeed, have argued that a distinction between philosophy and literature is no longer viable. While, of course, I wish to argue for a certain position in relation to the issues raised, one deriving from the thought of Kierkegaard and Witt- genstein, I would nevertheless like the expositions of the thinkers concerned to be useful whether one is convinced by it or not. I have, therefore, tried to provide sufficient detail of their thought and reference to their writings to constitute in each case a brief introduction to their work. I would like to thank the students on my ‘Philosophy and Literature’ course at Essex University for their interest and questions, and the members of my family who are a constant reminder that in respect of what matters in life philosophy has no authority. Michael Weston