Title: Meaning & interpretation : Wittgenstein, Henry James, and literary knowledge /
Authors: Hagberg, Garry, 1952-
Publisher: Cornell University Press,
Year: 1994
Subjects: James, Henry, Criticism and interpretation.; Wittgenstein, Ludwig,; Fiction History and criticism Theory, etc.; Knowledge, Theory of, in literature.; Meaning (Philosophy) in literature.
Abstract: "What is the meaning of a word?" In this thought-provoking book, G.L. Hagberg demonstrates how this question - which initiated Wittgenstein's later work in the philosophy of language - is significant for our understanding not only of linguistic meaning but of the meaning of works of art and literature as well. Adopting a Wittgensteinian method in close readings of the short fiction of Henry James, Hagberg reveals how literary interpretation itself may be practiced as a form of philosophical investigation. Hagberg first considers in detail Wittgenstein's views on meaning, particularly such notoriously difficult central concepts as the "language-game" and the "form of life." He uncovers in Wittgenstein's philosophy the interrelations between linguistic and artistic "microcosms," between verbal and stylistic coherence, between linguistic and artistic limits to what may be expressed, and between general meaning and aesthetic significance. Fundamentally, Hagberg examines Wittgenstein's account of the importance of particularized usage and of context in determining the meaning of word or work of art. In his interpretation of James's short fiction, Hagberg rethinks such problems as the widely assumed but misleading distinction between interpretive perception and description. In addition, he draws striking parallels between the complex processes of coming to understand a person and of coming to understand a work of art. Throughout, Hagberg demonstrates a heightened sensitivity to the powerful influence on aesthetic thinking of formulations of questions that are too often accepted as given.
Contents: 1. Language-Games and Artistic Styles. The Concept of a Language-Game. Linguistic and Artistic Microcosms. Style, Coherence, and Artistic Limits -- 2. Forms of Life and Artistic Practices. The Concept of a Form of Life. Gesture, Ritual, and Artistic "Spirit" Meaning and Artistic Uses -- 3. Circumstances of Significance. "The Author of Beltraffio" Descriptions In Situ. Tone and Gestural Expression -- 4. Aspects of Interpretation. "The Lesson of the Master" Against Reductionism. "The Figure in the Carpet" -- 5. Interpretation and Philosophical Method. "The Tree of Knowledge" Epistemological Fiction. Literary Interpretation and Philosophical Investigation.