AFFECTIVE FALLACY Meaning and
Definition
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The term "affective fallacy" is a concept used in literary criticism and theory that refers to the fallacious tendency to judge or evaluate a work of art, particularly a literary text, based solely on the emotional or personal responses it elicits. Coined by American literary critic W.K. Wimsatt and Monroe Beardsley in their influential essay "The Affective Fallacy" (1949), the concept asserts that the intrinsic value and meaning of a literary work should not be derived from the feelings or emotions it evokes in the reader. Rather, Wimsatt and Beardsley argue that the true meaning and intention of a text should be derived solely from the objective analysis of its formal elements, structure, style, and other textual features.
In essence, the affective fallacy warns against the tendency to subjectively derive meaning from a work of literature based on the emotional responses it elicits, as this approach may lead to misleading interpretations. Instead, the concept advocates for a disciplined and critical examination of a text, detached from personal feelings, in order to better understand its aesthetic and intellectual qualities.
This concept is especially relevant in the field of literary criticism where the evaluation of a work's artistic merit and interpretation should be rooted in a rigorous analysis of its textual features rather than subjective emotional responses. The affective fallacy thus serves as a reminder to critics and interpreters to avoid projecting personal emotions onto a text and instead prioritize an analytical and objective approach in evaluating and understanding literature.
Etymology of AFFECTIVE FALLACY
The term "affective fallacy" was coined by American critic W.K. Wimsatt and Monroe C. Beardsley in their influential essay "The Affective Fallacy", which was published in 1949.
The word "affective" is derived from the Latin word "affectus", which means "feeling" or "emotion". It refers to the emotional or subjective response one has towards a particular work of art or literature.
The term "fallacy" comes from the Latin word "fallacia", which means "deception" or "falsehood". In this context, a fallacy refers to a mistaken or misleading belief.
