Monroe Beardsley: Intentional Fallacy and Affective Fallacy

Monroe Beardsley (1915-1985) was a prominent American literary critic, hailing from Bridgeport, Connecticut. He received his education at Yale University, where he earned a B.A. in 1936 and a Ph.D. in 1939, winning the prestigious John Addison Porter Prize. Beardsley taught at several institutions, including Mount Holyoke College and Yale University. His wife, Elizabeth Lane Beardsley, was also a philosopher at Temple and occasionally collaborated with him on writing. Intentional Fallacy Beardsley is known for two influential essays, "Intentional Fallacy" and "Affective Fallacy." The "Intentional Fallacy" argues that a work of art should not be evaluated based on the author's intention or what the author had intended. In other words, the work should be liberated from the influence of the author's authority. The text should stand independently without being bound by the author's biography or personal details. By rejecting the intentional fallacy, B…