Why Literature Matters in the 21st Century

by Mark William Roche

Not just another jeremiad against prevailing isms and orthodoxies, Why Literature Matters in the 21st Century examines literature in its connection to virtue and moral excellence. The author is concerned with literature as the teacher of virtue. The current crisis in the humanities, Mark William Roche argues, may be traced back to the separation of art and morality. (“When the distinction between is and ought is leveled,” he writes, “the power of the professions increases.”)
The arts and humanities concern themselves with the fate and prospects of humankind. Today that fate and those prospects are under the increasing influence of technology. In a technological age, literature gains in importance precisely to the extent that our sense of intrinsic value is lost. In its elevation of play and inexhaustible meaning, literature offers a counterbalance to reason and efficiency. It helps us grasp the ways in which diverse parts form a comprehensive and complex whole, and it connects us with other ages and cultures. Not least, great literature grapples with the ethical challenges of the day.

Genres: Theory

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 10, 2004

Reviews

[Rebecca Williams]

I liked it. Perhaps a bit too traditional for me, but it provides some classic approaches to today's literary dilemmas. The second and third parts of the book especially deal with the idea of technology and literature. I now want to find a book that praises technology's ability to provide more opportunities for creativity in literature to balance this out.