HISTORICAL INACCURACY IN FICTION

I ask whether and when historical inaccuracy in a work of art constitutes an aesthetic flaw. I first consider a few replies derived from others: conceptual impossibility, import-export inconsistency, failure of reference, and imaginative resistance. I argue that while there is a grain of truth to so...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American philosophical quarterly (Oxford) 2019-04, Vol.56 (2), p.155-170
Main Author: Fileva, Iskra
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aesthetics
Fiction
Grain
Inconsistency
Philosophy
Resistance
Truth
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:I ask whether and when historical inaccuracy in a work of art constitutes an aesthetic flaw. I first consider a few replies derived from others: conceptual impossibility, import-export inconsistency, failure of reference, and imaginative resistance. I argue that while there is a grain of truth to some of these proposals, none of them ultimately succeeds. I proceed to offer an alternative account on which the aesthetic demerits of historical inaccuracies stem from a violation of the conversational contract between author and audience. The key question is what that contract implies.
ISSN:0003-0481
2152-1123
DOI:10.2307/48570835