Chapter 5 - Moralistic

Chris Helm Lukas Nienhuis Andrew Nguyen Block 5 Moral Criticism Morals have been obscured in recent times. The popular opinion is that people are free to do as they please without consequence. While free choice is important, people ignore the fact that choices have consequences. It seems that the idea of right and wrong has been forgotten and even considered incorrect. However, the guidelines of right and wrong are still very important and necessary in modern life. Moral literary criticism focuses on this concept of right and wrong that has been lost in modern times. This form of criticism was first used by great philosophers including Plato and Aristotle. It is one of the earliest forms of literary criticism and is very important to fully understanding ancient and modern literature and the messages it tells us. Despite the modern lack of direct moral criticism, its basic ideas and methods are present in both feminist and marxist criticism. The greatest literary critics are, "discriminators between the false and the true, the deformed and the normal: preachers of harmony and proportion and order, prophets of the religion of taste.-Paul Elmer More Critics commonly focus on how literature conveys moral values. Literature that discusses positive and ethically sound values is generally praised by critics, while what focuses on poor values is rejected. Moral criticism focuses on not just how something is said in literature, but on what is being said.

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Forms of moral criticism: Showing that actions taken are inconsistent or incompatible with certain values being upheld, or values considered desirable. Counterposing one set of values with another, considering one set more valuable than the other Arguing that certain values should be adopted, or rejected, for some reason. Determining standards and restraints as essential to moral action Plato's position has an impact on literature and literary criticism even today (though scholars who critique work based on whether or not the story teaches a moral are few)-purdue owl Plato also knew that literature has the power to undermine moral values Aristotle believed writing should be delightful and instructive, and capable of fostering values Powerpoint about moral and philosophical criticism. http://www.faulkner.edu/admin/websites/cwarmack/Moral%20&%20Philosophical%20Criticism.ppt Most information in this document taken from here Why has moral criticism declined in recent years? Excess of critics, each with opposing views of moral guidelines Relaxed and unenforced moral guidelines Ignored due to modern critical theories Why is it still important? Understanding morals and values is critical in modern society Allows focus on authors as teachers, more than just writers Helps distinguish between literature that conveys positive and negative virtues Jason Mierczynski Miranda Batdorf Alayna Armendariz Christa Demos Block 6 Moral Criticism and Dramatic Construction Origins of Moral Criticism

360 BC to Present, Moral approach has the longest history.

It is the basic concern with the rights and wrongs of human nature. In Book X of his Republic, Plato gave us the first step in Moral Criticism. His approach still impacts us in literature and and literary criticism today. With mature literature, however, there are not as many scholars who critique morally. There are more for children's literature because they are meant to teach the moral standard.

As one of Plato's students, Aristotle saw poetry as a science that was actually productive. He established some basic guidelines for Poets and Playwrights that became known as the principles of dramatic construction. Here, we see one of the early attempts to explain what makes an effective or ineffective work of literature.

Both Aristotle and Plato heavily influenced western thought in Europe. The two philosophers bumped heads on the arts they thought were more important, and their debate still continues today.

Helped lead up to a Marxist and feminist form of literary criticism. Aspects of Moral Criticism

Judge the literature based on it's moral lesson or ethical teaching. (for example, if it is ethically sound, the work is praised, if it is misguiding or corruptive, the work is condemned.) Works that are moral are often meant to teach you something. The underlying principle then is whether or not the text can be seen as A) moral, and B) practical or useful. Questions to ask yourself: What do the character's actions and decisions reveal about his or her character? What is the motivating force behind the character's choices and dialogue? Does the character accept consequences? How? Does the character directly reveal feelings or must they be inferred by the reader? Maturity, sincerity, honesty, sensitivity, and/or courage become important criteria in determining the worth of literature and art. Is the author and his/her treatment of subject (both character and theme) mature, sincere, honest, sensitive, or courageous? How so, and how does knowing this help us approach the text in a meaningful way? Does the text seek to corrupt or negatively influence the reader? How so and/or why? What moral lesson or ethical teaching is the author presenting in the text/or through character, plot, or theme? How do characters, settings, and plot events represent or allegorize moral or ethical principles? Does the work in question pose a pragmatic or moral lesson or philosophical idea? Sources: http://aplitsota.blogspot.com/2010/11/moral-criticism.html http://www.faulkner.edu/admin/websites/cwarmack/Moral%20&%20Philosophical%20Criticism.ppt http://home.alphalink.com.au/~jperkins/humoral.htm http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/722/02/

Alexandra Brinkman Matthew Sanchez Kat Schiller Block 4 Moral Criticism Explained Morality by definition is whether or not a person's actions are right or wrong. Moral criticism has been around since 360 B. C and has its beginnings with such philosophers as Aristotle and Plato. In literature, it can be described as a type of work that is ethically right and virtues are encouraged, whereas corrupt actions are condemned.

Moralistic criticism only applies to actions made by free will. A character cannot be considered responsible for something they were forced to do or are beyond their control. Severity of criticism is highly dependent on culture and time period of the criticizer, as well as the context in which the work was written. As one reads a piece of literature, the morality will be shown as something from which the reader can learn from. However, some scholars disagree that this a true moral approach, yet others state that the reader can discover something that could make an effect on their life. It also important that the one does not confuse moral criticism with political criticism. While moral criticism deals with the moral within the culture of the story, political criticism attempts to understand the reason why a society is the way it is. Even though moral criticism has its part in literature, it does have advantages and disadvantages. One advantage is that the morals of a story can effect people on a personal and an international scale. This can also lead to a better understanding of the theme for that particular work. On the other hand, it can also be deemed too judgmental. It is wise to remember that some literature should only be valued for its artistic merit. Some questions to ask while applying moral criticism: Was the character's actions by his/hers own decision? What influenced the character? What were the intentions? Did the ends justify the means? Did the character make the right choice? Matt Smale Massimo Napoli Josh Blank Block 3 Moral Criticism

Does the character do the right thing? Is there opposing values where one says it is better then the other? Are certain values being advertised? Does the author argue that certain values should not be upheld? Do the characters all share the same moral values? Are the characters morals consistent throughout the story? How do the protagonists and antagonists moral values conflict with each other? Do the ideas presented in the story argue with ideas presented in todays society? Is there a prominent value in the story that distinguishes itself as the right or wrong value? Does the literature tend to blame a particular individual, group, society, or culture?