Neoclassicism Elementsinfluentialtotheriseofneo: 1) Theneworexperimentalscience Itstartedtoadvancein17thcentury,andrapidlychangedmanspointofviewofnature Atthattimesciencewasconcernedwiththephysicalsciencessuchasastronomy,physicsand chemistry TheyrevealedthewisdomandgoodnessofGodinhiscreation ThelawsofnaturediscoveredbypeoplesuchasBoyleandNewtonsupportedtheideathata divineintelligencecreatedanddirectstheuniverse Thissaidthatcomplexitiesofacademicphilosophyisunnecessary Thusthemysticalquestionsofthe17thcenturylosttheirimportance Nowthattheuniversewasreducedtoorder,whyshouldnotbereligionreducedtoo? ReligionwasreducedtoDeism: DeismacceptsthereisaGod,whohascreatedtheuniverseandsetitworkingaccordingto Natureslaws.Heshouldbeworshipped,butnotaccordingtodubioustexts.

Theysaidthereis auniversesoitneedssbwhohascreatedit(inthiswaytheyfindGod) NatureislawfulandorderlysoGodmustbewiseandgood. Thechain: 1) God 2) Angels 3) Human 4) Animals Beginningofmanswisdomistofindhispositionintheworld MansdutyonearthwastocooperatewithNatureandDeity,andtocultivatewisdom,virtueand ReasonswhyChristianitywasagainstDeism:1)itscompleteomissionofthesecondrevelationofthe Scripture.2)rejectionofthehopeforsalvationthroughthevicariousatonement. UnderphilosophiesofrationalismandEnlightenment,theagebecamesecular,tolerant,moderateand reasonable Theysaidmanmustadmithisownphysicalandintellectualweaknessandavoidpride JohnLockeinhisessayconcerninghumanunderstandingemphasizesonmanslimitations. Manhas\dtosettleforthepossiblewithinlimitsofhumanintelligenceandtheworld. Hehadnorighttocomplainabouthisconditions. Leibnitzsays:whateveris.Isright 18thcenturyheldanoptimisticviewofmansmoralnature.Theysaidhumannatureisgoodandman findshappinessintheexerciseofvirtue.Theysaidthesourceofvirtueinmancanbefoundinhis distinctiveandsocialimpulsesratherthaninacodeofconductsanctionedbydivinelaw. Neo.Literarytheory Itbeganin17thcenturyFrance:Racine,MoliereandCorneille.

Themovementwasareactionagainstthecomplexity,ambiguity,boldnessandextravaganceof EuropeanliteratureofthelateRenaissance.Theywereinfavourofsimplicity,clarity,andgoodsense. Theyusedsimpleimagesinsteadoffarfetchedmetaphorsofmetaphysicalpoets. Developmentofneoclassicalconceptswassimultaneouswiththedevelopmentofrationalistic philosophiesandexperimentalsciences Theyhadaprofounddesireforpeace. ItwasalsocalledAugustan,becausefirstly,theirtimewaslikethatofRomansinthetimeofEmperor Augustus,whobroughtpeacetothecountryafterJuliusCaesarwaskilled.Secondly,becausetheywere influencedbythewritersofthatera.ThechiefpoetsofAugustanperiodwere:Virgil,HoraceandOvid. theirworkswerepolishedandaddressedtothearistocracyinordertofindpatrons. ArtisticDoctrine: Inart,thespiritoftheagewasClassical. 1) socialconventionsandnotindividual 2) reasonandnotemotion 3) formandnotcontent Theyfeltagreaturgeforstandards. Thekeywordsofneoclassicalcriticism: A) nature:naturemeanstheuniversal,permanentandrepresentativeelementsinthemoraland intellectualexperienceofmen.(WhenPopesaysfirstfollownaturehedoesnotmeanthe externalnature,buthumannatureandexperience) natureandtrutharethesamebecausetheyincludepermanent,enduring,generaltruthswhich hadbeen,are,andwillbetrueforallmen. Thepoetstaskisnottobeavisionarybuttorevealthepermanentandtherepresentativein humanexperience. SamuelJohnsonsayspoetisnottoexamineindividualbutthespeciestomarkthegeneral propertiesandlargeappearances. B) Theancients:theylearnedfromDrydentoputemphasisontheancients.Theywantedtofind perfectrulesintheworksoftheancients.Thedesirefortheperfectformwhichmadethefollow GreekandRomanwriterscausedthemtobecalledneoclassic.Itsrationalapproachtosocial andliteraryproblemshasgivenitthetitleageofreason Theyusedtheancientsastheirguidesnotbecausetheyhadauthority,butbecausetheyhad expressednatureinatruewaythatdespiteofthechangeswasstillapplicabletothelifeof modernman. Theinfluentialancients:Homer,Virgil,Ovid,AristotleandHorace C) Therules:theylearnedfromtheancientsthatapoetisamaker,andsohastopracticehisart. Thepoethastofollowrules. Aristotlespoetics/Horacesarspoetical/Quintiliansinstitutionoratoria Theyusedtheancientsasmodelstocreateworksindifferentgenres. D) Genius:apoetmustbebornapoet,therefore,hemustbeagenius.Butmeregeniusisnot enough,itmustbetrained.Apoetisnotavisionarybutthemakerofanobject.Poetborrows imagesfromlifetoteach.Andtoteacheffectivelyhemustpleasehisreadersbytheornaments ofhislanguage.Apoetmustknownatureandtodosohemustliveamongothersinsociety.

E) Wit:inneoclassicalperioditis:quicknessandlivelinessofmind,areadinesstoperceive resemblancesbetweenthingsapparentlyunlike,andsoenlivenliterarydiscoursewith appropriateimages,similesandmetaphors Butitshouldbetamedbecauseanexcessofimaginationisdangeroustosanity,andleadsaway fromnatureandtruth.Ithadtobebroughtundercontrolbymansjudgment. Mostimp.Authors:1)AlexanderPope(poetry,criticism),2)JonathanSwift(prose,poetryand criticism),3)SamuelJohnson(critic,poet,lexicographer),4)OliverGoldsmith(drama),5)Ben Jonson(poet,criticanddramatist) Frenchones:1)Moliere(drama),2)Racine(poet,drama),3)NicolasBoileue(critic,poet)