Ralph O’Connor, “The Meanings of ‘Literature’ and the Place of Modern Scientific Nonfiction in Literature and Science.”

摘要

For more than a century now, the concept of “literature” has been invoked in bothvery broad and very restricted meanings. In the broad sense, it means all texts; in therestricted sense, it means texts possessing a special degree of aesthetic value or artfulcomplexity, the kinds of texts usually studied in literature courses at university. Bothusages are current within Literature and Science, sometimes used by the samescholars. The precise meaning of this word is not usually seen as important, but formost readers of this journal, it frames our basic disciplinary identities, so it seemsworth paying more attention to what we mean when we use it. The value of literatureas a subject of study is no longer taken for granted by university managers orgovernment education policymakers, so some clarity on this point seems desirable.