Question

According to the passage, recent studies on romanticism avoid "a single definition, a specific time, or a specific place" because they:

• A. prefer to highlight the paradox of romantic aesthetics as a concept.
• B. prefer to focus on the fundamental concerns of the romantics.
• C. understand that the variety of romanticisms renders a general analysis impossible.
• D. seek to discredit Lovejoy's scepticism regarding romanticism.
• A. Many romantics rejected the idea of aesthetics as a domain separate from other aspects of life.
• B. Characterising romantic aesthetics is both possible and desirable, despite the challenges involved.
• C. Recent studies on romanticism seek to refute the differences between national romanticisms.
• D. Romantic aesthetics are primarily expressed through fragments, aphorisms, and poems.
• A. is primarily the concern of philosophers and artists, rather than of ordinary people.
• B. is widely considered to be irrelevant to human existence.
• C. should be confined to a specific domain separate from the practical and theoretical aspects of life.
• D. permeates all aspects of human life, philosophical and mundane.
• A. absence of written accounts by romantic poets and artists.
• B. elusive and suggestive nature of romantic aesthetics.
• C. lack of clear conceptual contours of the domain.
• D. controversial and scandalous history of romantic literature.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The passage explains the complexity of defining romanticism due to its varied interpretations across different contexts. According to Lovejoy, romanticism is so diverse that it defies a singular definition, making its analysis challenging.  

While recent studies acknowledge this diversity, they do not attempt to confine romanticism to a strict definition, time, or place. Instead, they address it through "particular philosophical questions and concerns", aligning with the passage's note on German romantics’ focus on epistemological, metaphysical, ethical, and political issues. 

Therefore, the correct conclusion is: Recent studies prefer to focus on the fundamental concerns of the romantics.

Answer 2

To determine which statement is NOT supported by the passage, we need to examine each option against the information provided in the passage:

• Option 1: Many romantics rejected the idea of aesthetics as a domain separate from other aspects of life.
  This statement is supported by the passage. It mentions that many romantics rejected aesthetics as a separate domain and believed it should shape all aspects of human life.
• Option 2: Characterising romantic aesthetics is both possible and desirable, despite the challenges involved.
  This is supported by the passage’s claim that despite challenges, characterizing romantic aesthetics is neither impossible nor undesirable, as noted by thinkers in response to Lovejoy's skepticism.
• Option 3: Recent studies on romanticism seek to refute the differences between national romanticisms.
  This statement is NOT supported by the passage. The passage indicates that recent attempts focus on characterizing romanticism without overlooking differences between national romanticisms. It does not state they seek to refute these differences.
• Option 4: Romantic aesthetics are primarily expressed through fragments, aphorisms, and poems.
  The passage supports this statement, describing how most romantics expressed their views through fragments, aphorisms, and poems.

The option that is NOT supported by the passage is Option 3, where recent studies are said to seek refutation of differences between national romanticisms, contrary to the passage's content.

Answer 3

The passage discusses the inherent complexity in defining romantic aesthetics and the multitude of interpretations surrounding the concept of romanticism. Prominent scholars such as Arthur Lovejoy and Isaiah Berlin have noted the challenges and debates regarding the definition of romanticism. Lovejoy argues that romanticism lacks a single definitive entity, making it difficult to pin down, while Berlin acknowledges the need for a broader characterization. Romantic aesthetics, as per the passage, is tied to the philosophy that beauty and art should influence all aspects of human life, not just the domains of philosophy and art. This contrasts with the idea that aesthetics should be restricted to a specific area separate from the practical and theoretical aspects of life. The most distinctive romantic commitment is the belief that engagement with art and beauty should shape the entirety of human existence.

Among the options provided:

• The idea that aesthetics "is primarily the concern of philosophers and artists, rather than of ordinary people" is not endorsed by the romantics, as they believe in its widespread relevance.
• The notion that aesthetics "is widely considered to be irrelevant to human existence" contradicts the romantics' belief in its fundamental importance.
• The statement that aesthetics "should be confined to a specific domain separate from the practical and theoretical aspects of life" is directly opposed to the romantic view.
• The correct option is that aesthetics "permeates all aspects of human life, philosophical and mundane," aligning with the romantics' ideology that art and beauty should be central to all aspects of life, influencing both ordinary and philosophical pursuits.

Answer 4

To determine the main difficulty in studying romanticism, we analyze the comprehension passage provided, which elaborates on the complexity inherent in the subject of romanticism. The passage identifies several challenges posed by romantic aesthetics:

• Notorious challenges in defining romanticism are highlighted, with scholars like Arthur Lovejoy, Northrop Frye, and Isaiah Berlin noting the absence of any "single real entity, or type of entity" that romanticism designates. Lovejoy expresses that "the word 'romantic' has come to mean so many things that, by itself, it means nothing," showcasing the difficulty in finding clear conceptual contours.
• The romantic aesthetics often feature in fragments, aphorisms, and poems, making their views elusive and suggestive rather than conclusive.
• The romantic aesthetic movement rejects the identification of aesthetics with a circumscribed domain, complicating definitions within established theoretical frameworks.

The question focuses on the "main difficulty" in studying romanticism. Among the options provided, the correct answer is the lack of clear conceptual contours of the domain. This aligns with Lovejoy's perspective that romanticism is marked by the absence of a definitive entity or type. Thus, it is the ambiguous boundaries and lack of a singular, cohesive definition that are the primary challenges in studying romanticism.