Benedetto Croce: Philosopher of Art and Literary Critic

Benedetto Croce (1866–1952) was one of the most important literary critics of modern times. His philosophy of literature and aesthetics has strongly influenced current thinking throughout the Western world. Comparatively little of his voluminous writing has been translated, however, and no really thorough study of Croce’s doctrines, his later ideas as well as his earlier ones, has ever been published in English.

 

Among the subjects discussed in the present volume are Croce’s con­cepts of the aesthetic image, lyrical intuition, taste or the reproduction of expression, the function of literary criticism, literary history as distinct from criticism, and his opposition to the idea of literary genres. An outline of Croce’s philosophical development and a biographical sketch are also given.

 

In addition to tracing the development of Croce’s aesthetic philosophy and giving examples of his criticism, Professor Orsini has provided a wealth of bibliographical detail and has corrected mistaken ideas about Croce that have prevailed at one time or another in this century. A separate appendix provides an up-to-date bibliography in English of Croce’s works, by subject, and lists the works that have been translated into English.

 

The book will be especially valuable to those interested in criticism and aesthetics. Students of comparative literature and philosophy also will find the work of general interest.