For a long time literary theorists have been concerned with the question “What is literature?". This issue does not raise the same interest in our days. After all, what really matters is what we do with literature, whatever it is. Time has come for a comparison between literary and evolutionary studies. The question we should ask is: “Why is literature?" Where do poetic uses of language rise from? For what reason or reasons, in a remote era of our history, did our ancestors start to spend (or lavish) both time and mental energies in seemingly free and relaxed verbal activities which were unrelated to immediate needs? What are the features of human behaviour that literature tends to foster and strengthen? This article argues that, after all, the aim of literature - as in any other human activity - is nothing but survival.

Barenghi, M. (2016). Nothing but survival: On the origin and function of literature. In F. Panebianco, E. Serrelli (a cura di), Understanding Cultural Traits: A Multidisciplinary Perspective on Cultural Diversity (pp. 389-402). Springer International Publishing [10.1007/978-3-319-24349-8_21].

Nothing but survival: On the origin and function of literature

BARENGHI, MARIO LUIGI
2016

Abstract

For a long time literary theorists have been concerned with the question “What is literature?". This issue does not raise the same interest in our days. After all, what really matters is what we do with literature, whatever it is. Time has come for a comparison between literary and evolutionary studies. The question we should ask is: “Why is literature?" Where do poetic uses of language rise from? For what reason or reasons, in a remote era of our history, did our ancestors start to spend (or lavish) both time and mental energies in seemingly free and relaxed verbal activities which were unrelated to immediate needs? What are the features of human behaviour that literature tends to foster and strengthen? This article argues that, after all, the aim of literature - as in any other human activity - is nothing but survival.
Capitolo o saggio
Literary theory; Evolution
English
Understanding Cultural Traits: A Multidisciplinary Perspective on Cultural Diversity
Panebianco, F; Serrelli, E
2016
9783319243474
Springer International Publishing
389
402
Barenghi, M. (2016). Nothing but survival: On the origin and function of literature. In F. Panebianco, E. Serrelli (a cura di), Understanding Cultural Traits: A Multidisciplinary Perspective on Cultural Diversity (pp. 389-402). Springer International Publishing [10.1007/978-3-319-24349-8_21].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/108682
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