Value, judgment, and the meaning of literary criticism—explored through a rigorous theory of value.
This book argues that value is not just a feeling or a right answer, but a relation to human interest. It uses the work of Dewey and Bosanquet to examine how judgments of value connect to real outcomes and to the objects we value.
This edition surveys key chapters on how valuing shapes ethics, aesthetics, and criticism. It shows why judgments of value must be understood as part of a broader theory that links mind, matter, and meaning. The discussion stays grounded in empirical experience and rational discourse, offering a clear framework for evaluating literature and other valued human goods.
- Defines value as an orientation toward what matters to us, not just a mood or preference.
- contrasts motor-affective attitudes with cognitive judgments and explains their interdependence.
- Discusses how different theories (pragmatic, idealistic) treat value and judgment.
- Applies the theory to literary criticism, showing how standards arise from rational discourse.
Ideal for readers of philosophy of value and literary criticism who want a structured, evidence-based approach to what makes something valuable.