Logic and Criticism

First Published in 1963, Logic and Criticism makes one of the rare attempts since that of I.A. Richard’s Principles of Literary Criticism to examine the problems of criticism in the light of recent philosophical developments. The character of critical language and argument, the problem of judgement, the relevance or irrelevance of moral criteria, are considered in detail through examples drawn from the most important modern critics. Above all the work is concerned with the question of how logical or illogical an activity criticism is, and the conclusions drawn have great relevance to current critical discussion. This is a must read for scholars and researchers of philosophy and literature.

William Righter, educated at Harvard and Oxford, has taught English Literature and Moral Philosophy in England and America. He, at the time of the first publication of this book, was with Kings College, Cambridge.