Creative Intuition : a Reading of Jacques Maritain's Aesthetic.

CREATIVE INTUITION: A READING OF JACQUES MARITAIN'S AESTHETIC by IVO LAMBIN R.A., Sinion Fraser University, 1973 A THXSIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIRFNENTS FOR THE DECREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in the Department of ENGLISH 6) IVO LAMBIN, 1976 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY March 1976 All rights reserved. This thesis may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. Name : Ivo bmbin Degree: Master of Arts Title of Thesis : Creative Intuition: A Reading of Jacques Maritein '8 Aesthetic Examining Committee : Cha irmn : MlchaeP Steig - - Frederick Candelaria Senior Supervisor - - Evan Alderson -. Bruce C.@&ford hternal haminer Assistant Professor Department of Modern Languages Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B .C . Date approved : d3.X % PARTIAL COPYRICHT LICENSE I hereby grant to Simon Fraser Univereity the right to lend my thesfe or dissertation (the title of which is ~hownbelow) to usera of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for-such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its 'own behalf or for one of its usere. I further agree that permiesion for multiple copying of this thesis for scholarly purposee may be granted by me or the Dean of Graduate Studies, It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for finandial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission, Title of Thesis/~issertationt -Author : (signature ) (name ) April 8, 1976 (date) ABSTRACT The objective is to explore the possibilities of an approach to literature derived from Jacques Maritainls philosophy of art as found in his Creative Intuition & Art Poetry. A brief introduction proposes a particular reading of Creative Intuition which brings into relief the relationship between poet and reader. To Ibritain this relationship is a communication of intuition from creative to receptive. To make clear what he means by this contention, the emphasis throughout the exploration is upon the nature and implication of the arc, poet - poem - reader. The exploration is situated within the spectrum of present day criticism. The key relationship, poet - poem - reader, potentially present in the reading of any literary work is first considered in its naive expression. This naive expression is explored and its significance to criticism explicated. Subsequently, Maritain's major concepts become known and reach understanding through an exploration which grad- ually spirals towards the meeting of poet and reader in the poem. What emerges is a clarification of the concepts of art, poetry, beauty, creative intuition. poetic intuition, poetic knowledge, poetic experience, poetic sense, and the nature of poet and critic. iii With regard to the two major concepts, Art, as the creative work-making activity of the mind and Poetry, as the unique relationship between the inner being of things and the inner being of the human Self, are explained from various perspectives. The meaning of Self, which involves the dis- tinction between person and individual is made clear. The relationship of Self to reality and its impact for creative intuition is elucidated. An approach to the literary work is shown to proceed from a conscious awareness of both the creative process and the receptive process through an understanding of Poetry. It is made clear that criticism's task is disclosure. The exploration draws in various aspects related to other approaches. Significant connections between Keatsl Negative Capability and Maritain1s poetic knowledge are brought out. In a second part, a commentary on disclosure reveals aspects relating to an approach to literature. Examples from modern poetry are looked at, especially from T. S. Eliot, Marianne Moore, and Robert Lowell, A fundamental conclusion drawn from this exploration is that the literary work and criticism are both truly auto- nomous and personal, Maritaints contentions and their im- plications reveal a viable approach to literature because they are commensurate with the nature of a literary work as understood in the philosophical tradition of Aristotle - Thomas Aquinas. If P4aritain1s approach is an accurate v response in accord with the very reality of the literary work, then such an approach integrates the truths of other approaches into a higher synthesis. In this is the secret of its potential success. ---TO A t4OHLL LADY vii ART : "The creative work-making activity of the human mindfl(3/3 ) . POETRY: "a process . that intercommunication between the inner being of things and the inner being of the human Self . .(3/3L POETIC SaNSE: "is to the poem what the soul is to man and gives to the poem its inner consis- tency, its necessary configuration, and first of all its very being and ex- istencelf(258/191). 1 --- Jacques )laritain "Poetic sense: cannot be separated from the verbal form it animates from withinow --- Raissa Maritain2 BEAUTY: "a butterfly resting on a rose. tt --- naive perception 3 To my friend and brother, Donald, for in- spiring and encouraging me to set my goal;, to Professors Bruce Gifford, Lvan Alderson, and Jerry Zaslove for their midance and critical spirit in the pursuit of my goal; and especially to Professor Fred Candelaria --whose special gift for making students disciples, not of himself, bat of Poetry- in the attainment of my goal, my deepest gratitude. TABLE OF CONTLNTS Page xi 1 PART ONE CRITICAL EXPLORATION I. CRITICISMAS"TALKU a 6 . 23 Reflections on Talk Significance of Talk Thornism, fibritain and Criticism 11. PERIPH&HAL EXPLORATION . 0 0 Descriptive Clarifications The Intellect and Art Art and Beauty Art, Beauty, and Creative Intuition Art and Criticism Effects of Poetry on Art Poetry and Poetic Sense Authentic Versus Automatic Unconscious Poetic Intuition Poetic Knowledge Poetic Intuition as Both Cognitive and Creative 111. INNi3R EXPLORATION The Poet and Reality Poetic Experience and Inspiration Poetic Sense and Imitation Poetic Sense and the Poem The Poetics of Naritain and Keats IV. CENTRAL EXPLOHATI ON .....*.......103 The Dvnarnic of Poetic Experience: Poetry and vmSiCtt Creative Intuition and Receptive Intuition Receptive Intuition as Encounter The hitic V. FUNDAMENTAL EXPLORATION . 118 The Poem: Embodied Poetic Sense The Logical Image and the Intuitive Image Epiphanies of Poetic Intuition The Poem, Drama, Novel: Differentiated Poetry Naive Perception and Creative Innocence PART TWO CRITICAL COPQ4SNTARY A COMI4ENTARY ON DISCLOSURE .......... 141 CONCLUSION ................ 171 APPENDIX A ................ 174 APPENDIX B ................ 175 REFERENCES ................ 177 BIBLIOGRAPHY . 203 FOREWORD A comprehensive poetics does not establish itself in a vacuum, It must be kept in mind that the philosophical and artistic environment is such that no literary scholar can present his poetics. In many ways Jacques Maritain(1882-1973 ) has been able to synthesize various literary views--especially from Romanticism--because of a primary ontological basis which he worked out through an understanding of the Aristotelian- Thomistic metaphysical philosophy, Without an understanding of the formative influences upon Jacques Maritain, his poetics may remain situated in a narrow perspective. Especially because he may be classed rather superficially as a scholastic philosopher thereby isolating him--since for many, Scholasticism has a deprecatory connotation. A complete biography of Flaritain is not the objective. The intent is to allow a view af this man in relation to his poetics, the latter emerging from a partic- ularly enriching milieu, Jacques hhritain was born in Paris into a prominent liberal Protestant family. Educated at various Lycees he later attended the Sorbonne. One of his earliest friends when still at the Lycee was the writer Ernest Psichari (1863- 1914) a grandson of Ernest Renan(1832-1892). At the Sorbonne positivism was the predominant philosophy. Two philosophy professors who influenced him through their lectures were xi xii hi1 Durkheim (1858-1917) and Lucien Levy Bruhl(l857-1939). It was during this time (9901) at the Sorbonne that Maritain met his future wife, the Russian Jewess poet, Raissa Ouman- soff. They were married in 1904 when still at the Sorbonne, The positivistic philosophy left Maritain unsat- . isfied. Together, he and Haissa sought answers to fundamental questions in the philosophical writings of Spinoza and Nietzsche. In these early years at the university, Maritain befriended another writer, Charles pkWy (1873-1914 1. It was Peguy who took the bTaritains90 the College de France to attend the lectures of Henri Bergson (1859-1941 1, Besides Thomas Aquinas, Bergson was probably the greatest intellectual influence on hritain which lasted throughout his life and is seen in most of his writings. His first published work was Berasonian Philosophy and Thomism. Undoubtedly, Creative Intuitio~& Art and Poetry shows a strong Bergsonian influence although reformulated within a Thornistic understanding. From 1906-1908 they lived in Heidelberg where Ihritain worked under Hans Driesch(1867-1941), a biologist whose research was at this time on embryo-genetic theory of neo-vitalism. These studies had a considerable impact and it seems obvious to relate to them a strong vitalistic tone in Ibritain's whole insight into the creative process. At Heidelberg he also attended the lectures of the Neo-Kantian philosopher Wilhelm ~indelbrand(l640-1915). After his return to France, Elaritain lived

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