A Theory of Drama and Theatre

Abstract

Ingarden’s literary theory is formulated primarily in his two works, The Literary Work of Art, An Investigation on the Borderlines of Ontology, Logic, and Theory of Literature and The Cognition of the Literary Work of Art. The first work deals with the ontological foundation of the literary work of art, and the second deals with the ways in which response to and “knowledge” of the literary work arise in the mind. Through the investigation of this intentional object (the literary work as an object which is neither real nor ideal) from these two points of view, Ingarden attempts to reconcile the problem interesting him as a philosopher, that is, the problem of idealism and realism. Thus he investigates the literary work of art primarily in order to supply explanatory and exemplary material for his studies dealing with purely intentional objects. But, because the objects of art in general provide him with many of the most important arguments in the controversy between realism and idealism, eventually Ingarden’s philosophical investigation into the nature and mode of being of the objects of knowledge gradually moved him closer and closer not only to the formulation of his empirical literary theory, but also to the attempt to create the foundation of an entire system of philosophy of art.