This is the layer of words as sense-bearing units. Individual word meanings combine into sentence meanings. However, Ingarden makes a crucial distinction:
Searching for "roman ingarden the literary work of art pdf" means you are part of a quiet revolution. For decades, Anglophone theory ignored Ingarden in favor of Saussure, Barthes, and Foucault. But in the last 20 years, there has been a revival.
In short, Ingarden solved a problem that analytic aesthetics is still grappling with: How can a non-existent object (a fictional character) have properties (being brave, being tall)? His answer—purely intentional objects constituted by stratified layers—remains the most elegant solution available.
If all else fails, support the publisher. Northwestern University Press sells an EPUB/PDF via partnered retailers like Google Play Books or RedShelf. The price is often $25–35—reasonable for a book that will serve you for a lifetime. roman ingarden the literary work of art pdf
Search your library’s catalog for “Das literarische Kunstwerk” (German original) – many scholars find the English translation expensive but can access the German text via interlibrary loan. If you read German, the original is often easier to find as a free scan.
Need a specific passage or concept explained? Drop a comment below (if on a forum) or ask your librarian for help securing the PDF legally.
How do hypertext, interactive fiction, or AI-generated poems challenge Ingarden’s model? If a reader can change the order of sentences, does the “schematic work” remain stable? Scholars are using Ingarden’s tools to answer this. This is the layer of words as sense-bearing units
This is Ingarden’s most original contribution. Real objects present themselves through ever-changing aspects (the front of a house vs. the back; the house in sunlight vs. at dusk). A literary work, however, provides only schematized aspects – a fixed, limited set of perspectives. For example, a novel might describe a room only through the eyes of a detective entering it at midnight. Other aspects (the room at noon; from the corner) remain ungiven.
This leads directly to his most famous concept…
If you’ve landed here searching for "Roman Ingarden the literary work of art pdf", you’re likely a student or researcher in philosophy, literary theory, or phenomenology. Below is a practical guide to finding the text, understanding its importance, and navigating its content. In short, Ingarden solved a problem that analytic
Roman Ingarden (1893–1970) was a Polish philosopher, student of Edmund Husserl, and a key figure of the phenomenological movement. His works are still under copyright in many jurisdictions. However, legal access is possible through:
Recommended citation:
Ingarden, Roman. The Literary Work of Art: An Investigation on the Borderlines of Ontology, Logic, and Theory of Literature. Translated by George G. Grabowicz. Evanston: Northwestern University Press, 1973.
