Abstract
As an influential thinker and public intellectual, Martha Nussbaum is distinguished in the field of philosophy by her great passion for literature and arts. She not only brings to the fore literary imagination/narrative in intellectual discussions, but also inherits and develops such classical idea as “the alliance of poetry and ethics” in the contemporary context. She has effectively explored the contribution literature has made in response to the ethical question as to “How should one live?” In her explication of the literary ethics, Nussbaum refers to the value of literary ethics in two respective dimensions, “perception” and “therapy,” which not only reflects the inner tension and complexity of her literary view, but also underlines the problem and predicament of contemporary literary theories of liberalism. As John Gray would have it, the “two faces of liberalism” is remarkably presented within Nussbaum’s theories.
Keywords
Martha Nussbaum; literary ethics; perception; therapy
First Page
69
Last Page
81
Recommended Citation
Fan, Yun. 2022. "Two Faces of Literary Ethics: Martha Nussbaum’s Literary View and Its Inner Tension." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 42, (5): pp.69-81. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol42/iss5/5
