THE PRESENT ANTHOLOGY is intended for students of continental literature and also for those who wish to know more about the European background of English and American criticism. The volume extends from Kant Critique of Judgment ( 1790) to Jacques Maritain's Situation of Poetry ( 1955). No period in the history of criticism is richer or more varied. By the same token, no period is more difficult to represent adequately in an anthol- ogy. Of necessity, important figures must be omitted and others represented by selections which fail to do justice to the full scope of their work. In the hope of minimizing this problem, I have observed the following editorial principles:
1.
Each selection is significant in itself and has influenced subsequent criticism. Often its influence has extended beyond the Continent to England and America, and where it has, the fact is noted in the headnote to the selection. There will be differences of opinion about the wisdom of omitting certain authors and essays, but there will, I hope, be agreement that all of the selec- tions included have clear title to the space given them.
2.
Each selection is long enough to present the author's ideas in a systematic way. Short, isolated selections have been avoided in the belief that they distort rather than clarify. Likewise, no essays have been included which concentrate on works of na- tional rather than European prominence, for it is axiomatic that to understand a critical essay the reader must know the work being discussed.
3.
Each selection illustrates a major tradition of European criticism. For this reason priority has been given to authors who initiated movements or gave them definitive formulation. Of the later Kantians, for example, Schelling has been chosen rather than Fichte or the Schlegels because of the importance of his "nature philosophy" to German and English romanticism.
4.
Longer selections have been given subheadings in order to facilitate comprehension. Notes added by the present editor are followed by "Ed." in parentheses.
-v-
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Publication Information: Book Title: Modern Continental Literary Criticism. Contributors: O. B. Hardison Jr. - editor. Publisher: Appleton-Century-Crofts. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1962. Page Number: v.
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