Literature The Intrinsic Value Of Social Ethics Conflict

As the intrinsic value of literature, aesthetic value exists in the literary arts together with the other values of literature. However, in the realistic literary activities, the relationship between aesthetic value and ethical values is difficult to deal with in judging the literary works. The conflict between aesthetic value and social moral standards is its true manifestation, in which many splendid literary works aren't treated fairly because of people's limitations of knowledge. This paper aims at the theoretical analysis between moral standards, ethical values and esthetic value from the perspective of values in order to set up the dialectical relationship between them, and looks into the above problem through the examples of Vladimir Nabokov, a Russian-American writer and his famous work Loretta.The preface of the paper mainly explains that aesthetic value is the intrinsic value of literature while moral standards falls to the category of practice and ethical values of literature can't be equated with social moral standards. Moreover, it briefly introduces Nabokov and his work Loretta, with which some questions are raised.The first chapter proves the relationship between aesthetic value and moral cultivation. From the two traditional opposing views (absolute moralism and aestheticism), it analyzes their rationality and partiality respectively. Meanwhile, it explains the theory that aesthetic value of literature can be dialectically united with moral cultivation.The second chapter proves the complicated relationship between mainstay of literature and moral principles from two levels. Firstly, the moral connotation between the subjects to create and literary work reflects not only the writer's concerns for morality but also his choice of ethical values; secondly, the receptive subjects can have the equal moral dialogue with the writer only through the text that blends the moral connotation with aesthetic nature.The third chapter explains Nabokov's view on the relationship between aesthetic value and moral cultivation by integrating himself and his work Loretta with his other literary works and his works of literary theory. Nabokov had his unique and penetrating view on literature and art. He thought literature had nothing to do with morality instead of being in opposition to each other, because unity in form and content in the works would influence the esthetic effect of literary works. At last, this chapter points out that appreciation of the beauty has been dialectically united with morality if literary creation can stick to esthetic effect.The conclusion of the paper points out that we should comprehend morality in literary work in terms of ethical philosophy in stead of social moral standards thus we can further pursuer the nature of art from the angle of ideology.