JOURNAL ARTICLE

Sense and Sensibility as Social-Epistemic System.

  • Published In: Studies in the Novel, 2023, v. 55, n. 2. P. 131 1 of 3

  • Database: Sociology Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Hanlon, Aaron R. 3 of 3

Abstract

This article examines systems of inductive and deductive reasoning in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility (1811), placing Austen's first novel in a longer historical context of how novels functioned as systems of social epistemology, or of scaling-up social knowledge. In so doing, this article demonstrates how Marianne, typically read as the unsystematic counterpart to her rational older sister, Elinor, actually proceeds from a rational system for making social judgments. The pitfalls both of these characters encounter due to flawed judgments are part of how Sense and Sensibility builds critique and error correction into its illustrations of social conundrums based on imperfect information, offering a model system for readers who would encounter comparable circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Studies in the Novel. 2023/06, Vol. 55, Issue 2, p131
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Literature and Writing
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0039-3827
  • DOI:10.1353/sdn.2023.a899469
  • Accession Number:164365397
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Studies in the Novel is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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