The Reconstruction Of Rationality In Nothingness: Iris Murdoch's Philosophical Thought In The Sea, The Sea

The Sea, The Sea is a Booker-prizewinning novel, in which Iris Murdoch presents her philosophical thought: the"third way". Murdoch's third way is neither rationalism nor irrationalism, both of which follow a dogma of two-way movement in traditional metaphysics. She thinks that the two-way movement of dualism results in the divided human existence. She rejects the division and advocates a third way responding to reality which involves both rationality and perception. The new orientation of philosophy bridges the long-lasting division between rational knowledge and perceptual knowledge. Murdoch's philosophical thought is embodied in her concept of"Good", which is transcendent, but can be incarnated in human existence provided that the perceptual will-power is other-centred under the guidance of rationality.The Sea, The Sea is an incarnation of Murdoch's philosophical thought. The story is developed on the basis of Shakespearean allusion and Plato's allegory, which suggests the predicament of the protagonist Charles as Prospero in trap and the prisoner in cavern. Charles nihilates his existence into nothingness by will-power just as Prospero builds up an isolated kingdom by his magic. Charles is trapped in his will-power; he mistakes fantasy for reality just as the prisoner in cavern mistakes shadow for real thing. Charles'self-delusion is attacked by contingencies which lurk in reality. He experiences a pilgrimage from perceptual nothingness to unselfing existence. His change from an irrationalist to a"good"man with the help of rationality echoes the development of philosophy. Murdoch presents Charles'pilgrimage as artistic practice of her third way.Based on Shakespearean allusion and Plato's allegory, this research reveals a background of dualism in The Sea, The Sea which involves philosophy, religion and social convention. The dualism is presented by the conflicts between will-power and spiritual power, nothingness and rationality, Puritan values and American values. The research follows a route of Charles'pilgrimage: his nothingness and its cause, the attacks of contingencies, Charles'reconstruction of rationality in nothingness, and Charles'unselfing existence. Charles'pilgrimage towards Good implies the development of philosophy from the division of dualism to the unification. Charles'reconstruction of rationality in nothingness demonstrates the practicability of Murdoch's third way.