The term “affective fallacy” is a concept in literary criticism that refers to the error of evaluating a work of art based solely on the emotional response it elicits in the reader or viewer. It is considered a fallacy because it assumes that the emotional response is the only criterion for judging the value of a work of art, ignoring other important aspects such as form, structure, and meaning.
Definitions
The affective fallacy is defined as the mistake of judging a work of art based on the emotional response it elicits in the reader or viewer, rather than on its intrinsic qualities. This means that the value of a work of art should not be based solely on the emotions it evokes, but on its formal qualities, such as its structure, style, and meaning.
Origin
The term “affective fallacy” was first coined by W.K. Wimsatt and Monroe Beardsley in their 1946 essay “The Intentional Fallacy.” In this essay, they argued that the meaning of a work of art should be based on the author’s intention, rather than on the reader’s emotional response. They later expanded on this concept in their 1954 essay “The Affective Fallacy,” where they argued that the emotional response of the reader should not be used as a criterion for evaluating the value of a work of art.
Meaning in different dictionaries
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the affective fallacy is “the error of evaluating a work of art in terms of the emotional response it elicits in the viewer or reader, rather than evaluating the work on its own merits.” The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as “the fallacy of judging a work of art solely by the emotions it arouses in the viewer or reader, rather than by its intrinsic qualities.”
Associations
The affective fallacy is often associated with the New Criticism movement in literary criticism, which emphasized the importance of close reading and the analysis of literary form. It is also associated with the idea of intentionalism, which argues that the meaning of a work of art should be based on the author’s intention.
Synonyms
Some synonyms of affective fallacy include emotionalism, sentimentality, and subjectivism.
Antonyms
Some antonyms of affective fallacy include objectivity, rationalism, and formalism.
The same root words
The word “affective” comes from the Latin word “affectus,” which means “emotion” or “feeling.” The word “fallacy” comes from the Latin word “fallacia,” which means “deception” or “falsehood.”
Example Sentences
- “The critic made the affective fallacy of judging the novel solely on the basis of its emotional impact, ignoring its formal qualities.”
- “The artist was accused of committing the affective fallacy by relying too heavily on sentimentality in her paintings.”
- “The professor warned her students against the affective fallacy, urging them to focus on the formal aspects of the poem rather than their own emotional response.”
The affective fallacy is an important concept in literary criticism, reminding us that the emotional response to a work of art is only one aspect of its value. By focusing too narrowly on the emotional impact of a work, we risk ignoring its formal qualities and the author’s intended meaning. Understanding the affective fallacy can help us approach works of art with a more critical and nuanced eye, appreciating them for their full range of qualities and meanings.