Mikhail Bakhtin's Art and Answerability: A Free PDF Guide
Mikhail Bakhtin Art and Answerability PDF Download
If you are interested in philosophy, literature, or aesthetics, you may have heard of Mikhail Bakhtin, one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century. Bakhtin was a Russian philosopher who developed a unique approach to understanding language, culture, and art. His ideas have inspired many scholars and writers across various disciplines and genres.
mikhail bakhtin art and answerability pdf download
One of his most important works is Art and Answerability, a collection of three essays that he wrote in the early 1920s, shortly after the Russian Revolution. In this book, Bakhtin explores the nature and role of art in human life, especially in relation to ethics, responsibility, and dialogue. He argues that art is not a mere expression of individual creativity, but a form of communication that requires a response from others.
In this article, we will introduce you to Bakhtin's life and works, explain the main arguments and themes of Art and Answerability, show you how to download the PDF version of the book for free, and give you some tips on how to use Bakhtin's insights for your own writing. By the end of this article, you will have a better understanding of Bakhtin's philosophy and its relevance for today's world.
Who was Mikhail Bakhtin?
Mikhail Bakhtin (1895-1975) was a Russian philosopher who lived through turbulent times in his country's history. He witnessed two world wars, two revolutions, Stalin's dictatorship, and the rise and fall of the Soviet Union. He also faced many personal challenges, such as poverty, illness, censorship, exile, and persecution. Despite these difficulties, he managed to produce a remarkable body of work that has influenced many fields of study.
His life and works
Bakhtin was born in Orel, a town in central Russia. He studied at various universities in Moscow, Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), and Odessa. He was interested in philosophy, literature, linguistics, psychology, theology, and art. He was also involved in several intellectual circles that discussed contemporary issues and ideas.
Bakhtin's first major work was Towards a Philosophy of the Act, which he wrote in 1919-1920 but never published. In this work, he developed his concept of "answerability", which means that every human action has moral consequences and requires a response from others. He also criticized the dominant philosophical trends of his time, such as positivism, idealism, and Marxism.
In 1924-1929, Bakhtin wrote three essays that were later collected as Art and Answerability. These essays were Art and Answerability, Author and Hero in Aesthetic Activity, and The Problem of Content, Material, and Form in Verbal Art. In these essays, Bakhtin applied his concept of answerability to the analysis of art, especially literature. He argued that art is a form of dialogue between the author, the hero, and the audience, and that it creates a space for ethical and aesthetic evaluation.
In 1929, Bakhtin was arrested by the Soviet authorities for his involvement in a religious group. He was sentenced to six years in a labor camp, but his sentence was commuted to exile in Kazakhstan. There, he continued his research and wrote his most famous work, Problems of Dostoevsky's Poetics, which he published in 1963. In this work, he introduced his concept of "dialogism", which means that every utterance is shaped by the voices of others and responds to them. He also coined the term "polyphony", which means that a text can contain multiple and conflicting perspectives without imposing a single truth.
In 1936, Bakhtin returned to Moscow, where he worked as a teacher and a librarian. He also wrote several essays on the history and theory of the novel, such as Rabelais and His World, which he published in 1965. In this work, he introduced his concept of "carnivalization", which means that a text can subvert the established norms and values of society by using humor, parody, and grotesque imagery.
Bakhtin died in 1975 in Moscow. His works were largely ignored or suppressed by the Soviet regime until the 1960s, when they were rediscovered by Western scholars. Since then, Bakhtin has become one of the most influential and widely cited philosophers of the 20th century.
His main ideas and contributions
Bakhtin's philosophy is complex and multifaceted, but we can summarize some of his main ideas and contributions as follows:
Bakhtin emphasized the social and dialogical nature of language, meaning, and culture. He argued that every utterance is shaped by the voices of others and responds to them. He also argued that every culture is composed of various languages, genres, and styles that interact and influence each other.
Bakhtin developed a unique approach to understanding literature and art as forms of communication that require a response from others. He analyzed how authors create their heroes and how audiences perceive them. He also analyzed how texts create a space for ethical and aesthetic evaluation.
Bakhtin introduced several concepts that have become widely used in literary theory and criticism, such as dialogism, polyphony, carnivalization, heteroglossia, chronotope, and intertextuality. These concepts help us to understand how texts relate to other texts, how they represent different voices and perspectives, how they challenge or affirm dominant ideologies, and how they create meaning and value.
Bakhtin also contributed to other fields of study, such as linguistics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, theology, and education. His ideas have inspired many scholars and writers across various disciplines and genres.
What is Art and Answerability?
Art and Answerability is a collection of three essays that Bakhtin wrote in the early 1920s. These essays are considered to be his first major works in philosophy and aesthetics. They reflect his engagement with the debates and issues of his time, such as the role of art in society, the nature of creativity, the relation between ethics and aesthetics, and the problem of individuality.
The context and purpose of the book
Bakhtin wrote Art and Answerability during a period of political and cultural turmoil in Russia. The Russian Revolution of 1917 had brought radical changes to the social order, but also violence, chaos, and repression. The Soviet regime had imposed strict censorship and control over artistic production, favoring socialist realism as the official style. Many intellectuals had fled or been exiled from the country.
Bakhtin was dissatisfied with both the old and the new regimes. He was also critical of the dominant philosophical trends of his time, such as positivism, idealism, and Marxism. He sought to develop an alternative philosophy that would address the human condition in its complexity and diversity. He wanted to explore the nature and role of art in human life, especially in relation to ethics, responsibility, and dialogue.
Bakhtin's purpose in writing Art and Answerability was to propose a new way of understanding art as a form of communication that requires a response from others. He wanted to show that art is not a mere expression of individual creativity or a reflection of objective reality, but a dialogical activity that creates meaning and value through interaction with others.
The main arguments and themes of the book
The three essays in Art and Answerability are not directly connected, but they share some common arguments and themes. Here are some of them:
Bakhtin argues that art is a form of answerability, which means that every artistic act has moral consequences and requires a response from others. He says that art is not a neutral or autonomous activity, but a part of human life that involves ethical and aesthetic evaluation.
Bakhtin argues that art is a form of dialogue, which means that every artistic act is shaped by the voices of others and responds to them. He says that art is not a monological or isolated activity, but a part of human culture that involves interaction and communication.
Bakhtin argues that art is a form of individuality, which means that every artistic act expresses the unique personality and worldview of the author. He says that art is not a generic or standardized activity, but a part of human creativity that involves originality and diversity.
Bakhtin argues that art is a form of embodiment, which means that every artistic act materializes the abstract ideas and values of the author. He says that art is not a detached or formal activity, but a part of human experience that involves emotion and sensation.
How to download Art and Answerability PDF for free?
If you are interested in reading Art and Answerability, you may wonder how to get a copy of the book in PDF format for free. There are several benefits of reading the book online, such as convenience, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness. However, there are also some challenges and risks involved, such as legality, quality, and security.
The benefits of reading the book online
Reading Art and Answerability online can offer you several advantages, such as:
Convenience: You can read the book anytime and anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection and a device that can open PDF files. You don't need to carry a physical copy of the book or worry about losing or damaging it.
Accessibility: You can access the book from various sources and platforms, such as websites, databases, libraries, or archives. You don't need to buy or borrow a physical copy of the book or wait for its availability or delivery.
Cost-effectiveness: You can read the book for free or for a low price, depending on the source and platform you choose. You don't need to spend money on buying or renting a physical copy of the book or paying for its shipping or handling.
The best sources to download the book legally
However, reading Art and Answerability online also poses some challenges and risks, such as:
Legality: You need to make sure that the source and platform you use to download the book are legal and authorized by the publisher or the author. You don't want to violate any copyright laws or face any legal consequences.
Quality: You need to make sure that the file you download is accurate and complete. You don't want to miss any important information or encounter any errors or glitches in the text.
Security: You need to make sure that the website or database you use to download the book is safe and reliable. You don't want to expose your device or data to any viruses or malware.
To avoid these problems, you should use only reputable and trustworthy sources and platforms to download Art and Answerability. Here are some of them:
SourceDescriptionLink
Internet ArchiveA non-profit digital library that offers free access to millions of books, movies, music, and other media.https://archive.org/details/artanswerability0000bakh
Project MUSEA leading provider of digital humanities and social sciences content that offers access to thousands of books and journals from various publishers.https://muse.jhu.edu/book/13895
Google BooksA service that allows you to search, preview, and buy millions of books from various publishers and libraries.https://books.google.com/books/about/Art_and_Answerability.html?id=pa5r9U6vqcYC
How to use Art and Answerability for your own writing?
If you are a writer or a student who wants to improve your writing skills, you may find Art and Answerability very useful and inspiring. Bakhtin's philosophy can help you to understand the nature and purpose of writing, as well as to develop some techniques and strategies for creating engaging and meaningful texts. Here are some tips on how to use Art and Answerability for your own writing:
The concept of dialogism and its implications for writing
Bakhtin's concept of dialogism means that every utterance is shaped by the voices of others and responds to them. This implies that writing is not a solitary or isolated activity, but a social and interactive one. When you write, you should consider the following aspects:
Your audience: You should think about who you are writing for, what they expect from you, what they already know or don't know, what they agree or disagree with, and how they will react to your text. You should also think about how you can engage them, persuade them, inform them, or entertain them.
Your sources: You should think about where you get your information, ideas, or arguments from, how you use them, how you cite them, and how you acknowledge them. You should also think about how you can integrate them into your own voice, how you can evaluate them critically, and how you can avoid plagiarism.
Your genre: You should think about what kind of text you are writing, what its purpose, structure, style, and conventions are, and how it relates to other texts of the same or different genres. You should also think about how you can adapt or modify the genre to suit your own goals, audience, and context.
The techniques of polyphony and carnivalization for creating engaging texts
Bakhtin's techniques of polyphony and carnivalization mean that a text can contain multiple and conflicting perspectives without imposing a single truth, and that a text can subvert the established norms and values of society by using humor, parody, and grotesque imagery. These techniques can help you to create engaging texts that challenge or affirm dominant ideologies. When you write, you can use the following strategies:
Polyphony: You can introduce different voices or characters into your text, such as narrators, speakers, authors, heroes, or readers. You can also use direct or indirect speech, quotation marks, italics, or other devices to indicate the change of voice. You can also present different opinions or arguments on the same topic without resolving them.
Carnivalization: You can use humor or irony to mock or criticize the authorities or the status quo. You can also use parody or satire to imitate or exaggerate the style or content of another text or genre. You can also use grotesque imagery or language to depict the absurdity or ugliness of reality.
The ethical responsibility of the writer and the reader
Bakhtin's concept of answerability means that every artistic act has moral consequences and requires a response from others. This implies that writing is not a neutral or autonomous activity, but an ethical one. When you write, you should consider the following responsibilities:
Your responsibility as a writer: You should think about what message or value you want to convey through your text, how it affects others, and what response you expect from them. You should also think about how you respect the rights and dignity of others, how you avoid harming or offending them, and how you acknowledge your sources.
Your responsibility as a reader: You should think about how you interpret and evaluate the text, how it affects you, and what response you give to it. You should also think about how you respect the rights and dignity of the writer, how you avoid misrepresenting or distorting their message or value, and how you give constructive feedback.
Conclusion
given you some tips on how to use Bakhtin's insights for your own writing. We hope that this article has sparked your interest in Bakhtin's philosophy and its relevance for today's world.
If you want to learn more about Bakhtin and his ideas, we recommend that you read Art and Answerability for yourself. You can download the PDF version of the book for free from the sources we have provided above. You can also check out other books and articles by Bakhtin or about Bakhtin from various online or offline sources.
Reading Art and Answerability will not only enrich your knowledge and understanding of philosophy, literature, and art, but also improve your writing skills and creativity. You will learn how to write engaging and meaningful texts that communicate with others and respond to their needs and expectations. You will also learn how to write ethically and responsibly, respecting the rights and dignity of others and yourself.
So what are you waiting for? Download Art and Answerability PDF today and start reading and writing with Bakhtin!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some frequently asked questions about Bakhtin and Art and Answerability:
Q: What is the main thesis of Art and Answerability?
A: The main thesis of Art and Answerability is that art is a form of answerability, dialogue, individuality, and embodiment, which means that every artistic act has moral consequences and requires a response from others, that every artistic act is shaped by the voices of others and responds to them, that every artistic act expresses the unique personality and worldview of the author, and that every artistic act materializes the abstract ideas and values of the author.
Q: When was Art and Answerability published?
A: Art and Answerability was published in 1990 by the University of Texas Press. It was translated from Russian into English by Vadim Liapunov and edited by Michael Holquist. The original essays were written by Bakhtin in 1919-1924.
Q: How can I cite Art and Answerability in my paper?
A: You can cite Art and Answerability in your paper using the following format:
Bakhtin, M. M. (1990). Art and answerability: Early philosophical essays. (V. Liapunov, Trans.; M. Holquist & V. Liapunov, Eds.). University of Texas Press.
You can also use other citation styles, such as APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard, depending on your preference or requirement.
Q: What are some other works by Bakhtin that I should read?
A: Some other works by Bakhtin that you should read are:
Towards a Philosophy of the Act, which is his first major work in philosophy.
Problems of Dostoevsky's Poetics, which is his most famous work in literary theory.
Rabelais and His World, which is his most famous work in cultural history.
Q: What are some other sources that I can use to learn more about Bakhtin and his ideas?
A: Some other sources that you can use to learn more about Bakhtin and his ideas are:
The Bakhtin Centre, which is a research center dedicated to Bakhtin studies at the University of Sheffield.
The International Journal of Dialogical Science, which is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes articles on dialogical science inspired by Bakhtin.
The Dialogic Pedagogy Journal, which is a peer-reviewed journal that publishes articles on dialogic pedagogy inspired by Bakhtin.
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