Realist Tradition Research Articles

Anthropocentrism and Inheritance in Our Mutual Friend: Return, Recognition, Reanimation

Abstract In decentering “Man,” a category long rhetorically constructed as the privileged species of a divine creator, Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection necessitated a reexamination of how human subjectivity should be represented in fiction. This article uses the example of Charles Dickens’s Our Mutual Friend (1864) to track and scientifically contextualize how anthropocentrism is constructed and interrogated in fiction after publication of On the Origin of Species (1859). Competing nineteenth-century theories of species transmutation recognized physiological fluidity and variation within species and type, yet unlike Darwin, they sought to define uniquely human qualities of mind. Literary narratives, such as Dickens’s final completed novel, engaged this intellectual project—attempting to stabilize a dominant form of human subjectivity while recognizing shifting varieties of being. Protagonist John Harmon is oddly vacant as an imagined human consciousness; his actions create or resolve conflict within the story, but he fails to demonstrate any stable motivation. Depicting the initial misrecognition, and eventual recognition, of an English heir newly returned from abroad, Our Mutual Friend articulates cultural anxieties about the potential mutability of identity and type and the origins and durability of English dominance. Its post-Darwinian model of consciousness challenges traditional realist valorization of the individualistic, agential subject.

How does the novel create life? Thinking the impossible in Elizabeth Costello

ABSTRACT What is happening in literary culture that critics and scholars believe the way we read novels today is troubled? Writer-critics like Zadie Smith have argued that the value of the novel be reconsidered according to an earlier tradition of realism, which evokes an increasingly complex world by which readers can be roused to ethical knowledge of other people. Smith’s formulation tells a story about the way we connect the reality of the novel and our own reality, a story of which literary scholars have begun to question the very possibility. This essay engages a debate between Dorothy Hale (2020) and Timothy Bewes (2022) that has significant consequences for reading, if Bewes is correct to question critical approaches that treat literature as an object of analysis and to theorise, instead, that the contemporary novel has its own, unapprehendable ‘thought’. But if thought is unapprehendable, how can criticism survive? Answering this question, I read J.M. Coetzee’s Elizabeth Costello (2003) as a novel that foregrounds thought, not, I argue, as in Bewes’s negative formulation but necessarily as a positive power that manifests a life. In this case, realism and criticism survive as precisely the nonsubjective thinking of impossibility required for less troubling times.

The image of Kyiv in a landscape painting by a Ukrainian artist Serhiy Shyshka of the second half of the 20th century

The purpose of the article is to study the representation of the image of the city of Kyiv in the landscape painting of the outstanding Ukrainian artist S. Shyshko, through the prism of the author's artistic vision and stylistic development. Research methodology. Methods such as analytical and comparative art studies were used in the work, which made it possible to holistically consider the given problem and obtain scientifically based research results. Scientific novelty. The article first analyzes the artist's stylistic features, in particular the combination of realistic traditions with elements of impressionism, which are clearly visible in his works. The main topics, motives and techniques that characterize his creative path and the importance of the artist in the context of the development of Ukrainian art are considered. Conclusions. The article examines the work of the outstanding Ukrainian artist S. Shyshko, one of the leading masters of Ukrainian landscape painting of the 20th century, whose work left a significant mark on the artistic life of Ukraine of that period. The main attention is paid to his contribution to the development of landscape painting, in particular to the depiction of landscapes with views of the city of Kyiv. The importance of S. Shyshko as an artist who made a significant contribution to the development of Ukrainian art, in particular realistic landscape painting, and his influence on subsequent generations of Ukrainian artists is emphasized. The work of S. Shyshko is an important component of Ukrainian art of the 20th century, which clearly reflects the cultural and historical significance of Kyiv. His works, focused on the urban landscape, enrich our perception of Kyiv as a symbol of national identity, as a space that combines history, culture and natural beauty. Through masterful command of light, color and composition, Serhii Shishko was able to convey the multifaceted nature of Kyiv, showing it not only as an architectural or natural object, but as a place where the spiritual and the material are closely intertwined. The artistic image of Kyiv on the canvases of S. Shyshka serves as a kind of bridge between the past and the present, because the artist not only captured the appearance of the city at specific moments, but also conveyed its spirit, its eternal essence, which remains relevant decades later.

Democratic Innovation Beyond Contestation: The Realist Case for Authorial Empowerment

AbstractLiberal democracies face the challenge of elite capture. Mounting empirical evidence indicates that a small socioeconomic elite has vastly more influence on policy outcomes than ordinary citizens. In this essay, I explore how political reformers should address this issue by harnessing insights from the realist tradition in political theory. By placing empirics front and centre, I extrapolate two normative heuristics to guide democratic innovation. First, I maintain that reformers must increase the capacity of ordinary citizens to contest elite-biased political decisions—call this editorial empowerment. Second, ordinary citizens must be vested with additional law-making capacity to offset elite bias—call this authorial empowerment. While institutional innovations to advance the editorial power of ordinary citizens have been central to the realist debate on democratic innovation, authorial empowerment has not received adequate consideration. To address this shortcoming, I explore institutional mechanisms aimed at increasing the authorial capacity of ordinary citizens and assess their alignment with the broader realist vision of a new mixed regime.

“The story just brings the science to life”: exploring the use of stories to translate knowledge about self-regulatory processes during goal striving in running

ABSTRACT Storied representations of research have been recommended and identified as an effective pedagogical tool to facilitate knowledge transfer to end users. However, storied forms of representation have not yet been used to communicate knowledge of self-regulation during goal striving in running. Therefore, building upon a previous programme of research represented via a traditional realist tale (Jackman et al., 2024), the study aims were twofold: (1) to construct stories that communicate runners’ lived experiences of self-regulation during goal striving in distance-running; and (2) to share these stories with relevant knowledge users to explore what they do on and for them in the short-term (1–2 weeks) and long-term (six months). Stories were constructed and represented through vignettes. To accommodate diverse views and appreciate different knowledge bases, we invited athletes, coaches, and sport psychologists to witness the vignettes and explored their responses via qualitative surveys and multiple interviews over time. Data analysis identified how the stories were useful for translating knowledge into practice, the reasons why, and how they acted on and for the participants. The accessibility of the stories enabled participants to connect meaningfully with the research. This expanded their knowledge, which some used in performances and to support other runners. Overall, our findings support an evolving body of research illustrating the potential of storied forms of representation to facilitate knowledge transfer, and extend understanding by providing a subject-specific (i.e., self-regulation and goal striving) and population-specific (i.e., running) example of how stories can work on and for athletes and practitioners.

The Impact of Realism on U.S. Foreign Policy during the Trump Presidency

Purpose: This article explored the impact of realism on American foreign policy during the Trump administration, striving to answer whether Trump adopted a realist stance or employed a unique blend of realism to enhance American interests on the global stage. Methodology: Centering on theoretical analysis and historical context, this study investigated the alignment of Trump's controversial personality and his "America First" slogan with the quest for national interests and power dynamics. This paper spotlighted Trump's unorthodox implementation of realism by exploring specific global issues, such as security strategies, trade policies, and diplomatic methods. Findings: This paper underscored Trump's deviation from traditional realism and adopting an unconventional realist approach. Particular emphasis was placed on this approach's implications for global power dynamics and the ethical dimensions of U.S. foreign policy. This study pinpointed noteworthy results from Trump's unique fusion of realism, providing insights into its effects on international relations. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This research contributed to theoretical comprehension and practical implications for future American foreign policy. It illuminated the Trump administration's unorthodox implementation of realism and its ramifications for international cooperation. Moreover, this paper advocated for a balanced approach incorporating strategic pragmatism with ethical leadership to efficiently tackle intricate global challenges and uphold the United States' role in the international arena.

Images of a Statist Ethic in “Western” and Chinese IR Theory: Locating (and Deciphering) the “Moral Realism” of the Tsinghua Approach

Abstract In this article, we identify—and interrogate—one thematic thread that is intricately woven through prominent positions within classical realism, normative international relations (IR) theory, and what Zhang Feng (2012) has called Chinese IR’s “Tsinghua approach.” This thread is the often-controversial notion of a statist ethic for international politics or an ethical perspective that grants priority to one’s state, fellow citizens, and the national interest. Positions within each of these theoretical traditions—what we label “egoistic realism” and “responsible realism” within the classical realist tradition, “communitarian realism” and “impartialist statism” within normative IR theory, and what others have described as “moral realism” within the Tsinghua approach—share a commitment to an ethical approach variously defined in terms of the protection of, and preference for, one’s state and compatriots. We take this rich collection of positions, and the points of comparison that it affords, as an opportunity to better understand the possibilities and limits of a statist ethic for international politics. Specifically, we endeavour to illustrate four points: (1) that a morality defined in terms of the priority of the state, one’s fellow citizens, and the national interest is neither impossible nor a contradiction in terms; (2) that such a perspective can constitute a sophisticated theoretical position; (3) that it can be conceived in radically different ways, including with respect to the source of value to which it appeals and who it deems to matter; and (4) that these differences have profound practical consequences. In terms of contributing to a conversation between Western and Chinese IR theory, this analysis helps us not only to explore how the “moral realism” of the Tsinghua approach relates to positions within classical realism and normative IR theory but also to evaluate the practical implications of its points of theoretical convergence and divergence.

Trends in the development of institutions and forms of artistic communication in modern St. Petersburg

The subject of the study is the works of contemporary St. Petersburg artists of different generations and creative trends, as well as the forms and features of their communication with each other and with the general as well as professional public. The trends of artistic communication in the city are determined by the activities of such institutions as art and non-art museums, art galleries and exhibition centers, which are a classic form of presentation of contemporary art; alternative venues such as creative spaces and art clusters. The field of attention also includes the attraction of St. Petersburg authors to the organization of small artistic associations, mainly art groups, for example, "Unconquered", "North-7", "Parasites", etc. In addition to works of art, theoretical works and reflections by researchers of contemporary art in St. Petersburg and the spaces of its public presentation are involved. The methodological basis is the analysis of the works of St. Petersburg masters of the beginning of the XXI century in the context of the development of urban institutions of artistic communication. The research is based on theoretical works devoted to the problem of artistic communication and trends in the current art process. Comparative-interpretative and typological methods are used to compare the works of artists and forms of artistic communication. The problem of artistic communication in the field of fine art in St. Petersburg is becoming the subject of a separate study. This area of city life is currently developing quite dynamically, as new art associations, curatorial practices and alternative classical platforms for the presentation of the work of authors belonging to different generations and art movements are emerging. Traditional museums and galleries, as well as creative spaces, art clusters and other often non-core institutions, such as libraries and cafes, are involved in this process. Against this background, the features of St. Petersburg artistic communication crystallize, which is characterized by a desire to organize communities, to fuse realistic traditions and current trends, to escapism and symbolism, as well as an interest in oriental themes and stylistics.

(Un)muzzled: Dogs in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Fiction

ABSTRACT This article considers the relationship between dogs as fictional constructs and the shifting dynamics of the novel form in the mid-nineteenth century in order to account more fully for their particular importance to realist writing. In revisiting three canonical novels associated with the realist tradition, Charles Dickens’s Dombey and Son (1848), Charlotte Brontë’s Villette (1853), and George Eliot’s Adam Bede (1859), it demonstrates the ways in which writers regularly rely on dogs in depicting moments of deep personal and interpersonal conflict. Where most previous analyses of animals in Victorian fiction have tended to treat them as minor characters within their respective human narratives, this article is attuned to the affective functions of the domestic dog in contexts that exceed mere verisimilitude, exploring the significance of the connection between the dog’s textual body and the intense experience of grief, sexual desire, and anger respectively. I argue that the dog’s simultaneously narrative and extra-narrative position in the emergent realist novel reflects the genre’s larger formal tensions, generated by the representation of excess affects. These tensions are closely linked to the novel’s primary mode of representation: language. I conclude that it is the dog’s extralinguistic presence, predicated on its inability to encode affect in language, that marks it as the ideal, if increasingly unstable, nexus of powerful, unprocessed emotion in the mid-nineteenth-century novel.

Смерть А. Чехова как финал эпохи: между журналистикой, литературой и философией (на материале публикаций в газете «Новое время»)

The purpose of the article is to analyze publications in “Novoye Vremya” devoted to the death of A. Chekhov. During the viewing of the newspaper for 1904–1905 it was possible to find more than 50 relevant materials of different genres. These are, in particular, notes on the writer's last days; the meeting of the coffin in St. Petersburg at the Nikolaevsky railway station; the arrangement of the grave at the cemetery of the Novodevichy Monastery; memorial meetings and lectures. The most interesting are the obituaries and memoirs of the leading journalists of “Novoye Vremya”. N. Engelhardt, V. Rozanov and V. Burenin, recognizing Chekhov’s outstanding talent, nevertheless assess him as a minor author and refuse to put him on a par with the great novelists — Goncharov, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy. M. Menshikov and A. Suvorin, in turn, talk about the end of the “golden age” of Russian literature. At the origins of this era stood Pushkin, who overcame romanticism and turned to the poetry of reality, and its finale is associated with the death of Chekhov, who always remained within the framework of the realistic tradition, but mastered techniques that were soon adopted by modernists — new romantics. In a sense, Chekhov mirrored Pushkin’s creative path.

The genre diversity of A.P. Chekhov's work and his vision of reality

The author examines the genre diversity of A.P. Chekhov's literary work. It is noted that Chekhov's works have an acute social orientation, pronounced psychologism, and a subtle artistic description of the literary characters. It is said that an interested reader can observe a deep insight into everyday reality, while experiencing a sense of inevitability of fundamental changes in society. Attention is paid to the speech features of Chekhov's characters, which allow us to accurately characterize their natural essence in a sufficiently capacious form. At the same time, the importance of using the innovative subtext in the works of Anton Chekhov, the linguistic means of character behavior, is fixed, taking into account the fact that the text and the subtext are separated and often contradict each other. It is stated that the bright artistic talent of A.P. Chekhov demonstrated the power of typicality, which allowed the images of his many literary creations to become household names. In addition, the features of Anton Chekhov's dramaturgy, his depiction of real life on the stage, and a detailed description of everyday life are outlined. It is said about the reception of Chekhov's dramatic works by modern domestic and foreign masters of culture. It is concluded that the demand for individual author's receptions of Chekhov's intertext in modern drama certainly confirms the relevance of his works to date. It is emphasized that this is due to the socio-philosophical nature of theatrical productions that touch on moral issues of human existence, since Chekhov's desire for the truth of life and the truth of everyday life creates prerequisites for increased interest in them at all times. A common thread is the idea that the prose and drama of the creator formed the conditions for the further development of realistic traditions in world literature.

Realist climate action: Between responsiveness and responsibility

How should political leaders address the emerging climate crisis if citizens are reluctant to accept costly but necessary climate action? In this article, I address this question by harnessing insights from the realist tradition in political theory. I propose that the realist legitimacy framework provides action guidance by offering two broadly applicable heuristics for political agents: responsibility and responsiveness. These heuristics collide if citizens are unwilling to accept policies designed to secure a nation's long-term stability. Faced with this problem, some authors make the supposedly realist argument that policymakers in liberal democracies should prioritise responsibility over responsiveness and embrace eco-authoritarianism to address the climate emergency. Against this line of argument, I maintain that the realist legitimacy framework entails no such commitment. Instead, realists must emphasise that responsible climate action entails a sufficient degree of responsiveness. I conclude by sketching how this insight may guide democratic leaders and climate activists in the future.

On the reasons for the removal of A.T. Tvardovsky from the position of head of the editorial office of the magazine “New World”

The subject of the article is the activities of the “New World” journal in the 1950-1960s. The author examines the role of the magazine at the beginning of the reform of Russian literature; the position of the editor-in-chief of “New World” regarding the function of literature designed to reflect reality; the reasons why A. Tvardovsky was removed from the post of editorial director. The work indicates that A. Tvardovsky served as editor-in-chief of the “New World” for 16 years, but during his career he faced dismissal twice. The article reflects the direction and main ideas of liberal thought of the New World magazine, which in the 1950s and 1960s was under the leadership of the editor-in-chief A. Tvardovsky. When studying the problems associated with the magazine’s position on the need to provide literary creativity with a certain freedom. When considering the activities of the magazine and its editor in certain historical and sociocultural conditions, a comparative historical method was used. The main conclusion of the study is that A. Tvardovsky, through his activities as editor-in-chief of the publication “New World” and his principled position on the freedom of literary creativity, made it possible to outline the beginning of the Thaw period in the Soviet literary process. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that the article systematizes information about the reasons for the removal of A. Tvardovsky from the post of editorial director and proves the role of the periodical in question in the process of making a turn in Russian literature towards the realistic tradition. A. Tvardovsky even published those works that were rejected by other leading journals due to the discrepancy between the author’s ideas and the ideas of the ruling party.

Character Adrift (on the Sea of Language): Robinson Crusoe, Foe, Elizabeth Costello, and the Shipwreck of Realism

This article focuses on J. M. Coetzee’s exploration of character in Foe and Elizabeth Costello, employing the metaphor of a “shipwreck” to depict the breakdown of traditional realism in literature. It examines how characters “drift” in the expanse between material reality and symbolic representation. This exploration hinges on the dual interpretations of “character”—as both a literal mark or signifier and a figurative embodiment of personhood. The discussion commences with Robinson Crusoe, positing that “drift” has been an inherent characteristic of literary characters since the inception of the novelistic tradition. The article then delves into Coetzee's nuanced narrative style, demonstrating how his characters, adrift on a sea of language and symbolism, strive to maintain their authentic existence against the encroaching tide of linguistic abstraction. This metaphorical “drift” and “shipwreck” mirror broader philosophical and cultural shifts in literature, where characters constantly oscillate between their roles as tangible entities and constructs within narrative frameworks. Coetzee’s works are shown to exemplify this tension, presenting characters who are not only vital to the storyline but also serve as metaphors for the enduring human quest for meaning and reality amid the fluidity of language and fiction.

On the Structure and Accumulation of Realist Content

Ever since the heyday of the Vienna Circle, scientific realists have worked hard to document and clarify the structure and growth of truth content in theoretical descriptions. Today, this trait is particularly intense among “selective realists” – realists focused on theory parts with high empirical corroboration rather than whole theories. From their perspective, theories with posits systematically deployed in corroborated novel predictions are, with high probability, descriptively true or contain a proper part that is. Unlike traditional realists, selectivists acknowledge that (a) radical conceptual change is a recurring scientific phenomenon and (b) empirical theories have poor reliability records at the most profound ontological level. At the same time, they point to significant descriptive continuities at intermediate theoretical levels between successful theories and their successors – i.e., a false theory can (and often does) contain parts that succeed as correct descriptions. Selectivists seek to identify those parts. Their approaches limit ontological commitment exclusively to highly confirmed theoretical descriptions; unfortunately, the selection criteria they use seemingly support many regrettable choices. One source of trouble is that extant approaches leave unclear the ontology described by the selected parts. Historical cases and scientific practice gesture toward a functional resolution of this difficulty, but the clues could be more transparent and need elaboration. Otherwise, selectivism has improved in consistency over the last three decades. Current projects emphasize the continuity of well-established scientific content (relating to how entities and processes effectively behave within a specific regime or descriptive level) instead of just the continuity of “structure”. This paper provides some clarifications that arguably clear the road for realist commitment toward functional and effective theoretical content. The proposed functional/effective turn is checked against some plausible objections.

V. Shalamov’s ‘Cherry Brandy:’ First overseas editions

The article examines the history of the overseas publication of Shalamov’s short story ‘Cherry Brandy.’ The first edition appeared in Roman Gul’s NewYork-based journal Noviy Zhurnal, vol. 91 in 1968. In the period from 1966 to 1976, when fifty of Shalamov’s stories were published by Gul, the latter felt unconstrained as their sole editor. The author details Gul’s editing method that reveals the goal to ensure that the text appears smooth and adheres to the narrative tradition of realism — a style very much at odds with Shalamov’s ‘new prose.’ Gul failed to appreciate Shalamov’s structuring of text and his mastery of composition — in short, he did not see it for what it was: a poet’s prose. Mikhail Geller, then working in London, realized how big a blow it was to Shalamov to see his short stories published in a random, unsystematic manner. In 1978, Geller oversaw the publication of Kolyma Tales [Kolymskie rasskazy] by OPI and supplied his foreword to the book, in which he offered an accurate characteristic of Shalamov’s creative method. Comparison of several editions of the short story collection (Gul’s, Geller’s, and later Shalamov’s Collected works) cannot but convince of the importance of addressing the persistent textological issues of Kolyma Tales.

Aesthetics of Chinese Neorealism Film -- A Case Study of Xiaoshuais The Days

This study examines the field of Chinese neorealism through the lens of acclaimed director Wang Xiaoshuai. Through an in-depth examination of Wang Xiaoshuais filmography, the significant influence of neorealism on the development of Chinese cinema will be teased out. The article concentrates on Wang Xiaoshuais works The Days and seeks to elucidate the distinctive style traits and artistic techniques he used to create his works. Also, the study examines how Wang Xiaoshuai depicts reality and investigates in depth the complex relationship between individuals and society depicted in his films. Through the analysis of themes and visual styles in Wang Xiaoshuais neorealist works, this study intends to disclose the characteristics of sixth-generation filmmakers who reinterpret the realist tradition. This helps us better comprehend the artistic portrayal of individual lives by Chinese filmmakers during the period of accelerated social change in the Chinese film industry during the late 1990s.

Performance Style under the Traditional Realist Director Concept of Chinese Films in the 1980s

Since the new era, Chinese films have been hovering between art and politics. While they are striving to find the subject status of film art, they are difficult to completely separate from politics. From 1979 to 1980, characters such as intellectuals, workers, and farmers in Chinese films lived as ordinary people in specific situations in the film, and they demonstrated the political character endowed by the times. An important feature of Chinese film performance culture under the concept of traditional realist directors is that the creation of intellectual characters has become mainstream, such as Fu Bin’s identity as an ordinary reporter in The Trill of Life (1979),Qiu Shi’s identity as an intellectual in the movie Evening Rain (1980), and group portraits of intellectuals in Legend of Tianyun Mountain (1980). Another important feature of Chinese film performance culture under the concept of traditional realist directors is the comedic expression of workers’ identity politics, such as the portraits of workers in the movies What a Family (1979) and Twins Come in Pairs (1979). Chinese film performances under the concept of traditional realist directors have also created a number of peasant images with political characters, such as the peasant group in The Plough (1979) and Jiang Maofu in Laughter in the Moon Village (1981).

Performance Style under the Traditional Realist Director Concept of Chinese Films in the 1980s

The scar performance culture of Chinese films in the 1980s was the first performance culture form of realist dramatic performance after the return of the director’s concept of realism. The reflective performance culture of Chinese films is one of the important performance cultures of Chinese films in the new era that emerged on the basis of scar performance culture. The humanitarian performance culture of Chinese films under the concept of traditional realist directors promotes the liberation of individuality and the release of human nature. The performance culture of Chinese films during this period was demonstrated through physical movements infiltrated with humanitarian aesthetic qualities.

The Dialogue of the Russian Realistic Tradition and Avant-Garde Trends in Painting in the “Studio of Konstantin Yuon”

The article examines the period of training of young Russian artists in the Moscow “Studio of Konstantin Yuon” in 1900–1917, who later became bright representatives of avant-garde trends in painting from the point of view of the mutual infl uence of the teacher’s creative manner and the artistic pursuits of novice painters who gravitated to the study of current trends in the European artistic process. The purpose of the study is to determine the nature of the relationship between the artistic principles of the Russian realist school and the creative attitudes of the representatives of future avant-garde trends in painting during their training in the studio of K. Yuon in the early 20th century. The results of the work show that despite the fact that K. Yuon was a representative of the Russian realist tradition, in his work of that period, as well as in the works of the students of his studio, there is not so much opposition between the aesthetic and artistic methods of Russian realism and the emerging avant-garde movements, but rather a dialog and mutual enrichment of plastic methods, which had a signifi cant infl uence on the formation of the creative manner of the artists.