A weak defence of Martha Nussbaum's philosophical-literary project

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34024/prometeica.2023.28.15139

Keywords:

Nussbaum, Posner, autonomism, literature, critical-ethicism

Abstract

Martha Nussbaum's "philosophical-literary" project has two main phases or moments. In the first, literature and moral philosophy enter into dialogue, while in the second, "political uses" of literature are proposed: literature must be a central, but never the only, part of the formation of the citizen. In this way, Nussbaum's project appears as a form of ethical criticism. The article sets out to analyse and reject one of Richard Posner's criticisms of all forms of ethical criticism: his denial that ethical evaluation is legitimate in dealing with literature and his claim that the moral content of works is of little relevance. The aim is to argue against Posner's radical autonomist (or detachment-aesthetic) position and to show how Nussbaum's project is even compatible with a moderate autonomist position.

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Author Biography

  • Juan Cruz Feijóo, Universidad de Buenos Aires

    Juan Cruz Feijóo (27 años) es Profesor de Enseñanza Media y Superior en FIlosofía por la Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA). Trabaja como docente de Filosofía en el nivel secundario. Desde el 2022 es adscripto de la cátedra de Ética (Garreta Leclercq) de la facultad de Filosofía y Letras (UBA). Pertenece como miembro a la Red de Investigadorxs sobre el Igualitarismo (RISI). Asimismo, es coordinador del Ciclo de cine y filosofía en el Instituto San José (Quilmes).

References

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Published

2023-11-11

Issue

Vol. 28 (2023): Prometeica - v 28 (11/2023 - 02/2024)

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Articles

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Copyright (c) 2023 Juan Cruz Feijóo

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How to Cite

Feijóo, J. C. (2023). A weak defence of Martha Nussbaum’s philosophical-literary project. Prometeica - Journal of Philosophy and Science, 28, 6-18. https://doi.org/10.34024/prometeica.2023.28.15139
Received 2023-05-28
Accepted 2023-10-30
Published 2023-11-11