Western canon

The Western canon is the embodiment of high-culture literature, music, philosophy, and works of art that are highly cherished across the Western world, such works having achieved the status of classics.

Recent discussions upon the matter emphasise cultural diversity within the canon.[1][2] The canons of music and visual arts have been broadened to encompass often overlooked periods, whilst recent media like cinema grapple with a precarious position. Criticism arises, with some viewing changes as prioritising activism over aesthetic values, often associated with critical theory, as well as postmodernism.[3] Another critique highlights a narrow interpretation of the West, dominated by British and American culture, at least under contemporary circumstances, prompting demands for a more diversified canon amongst the hemisphere.[3]

There is no official list of works that a recognized panel of experts or scholars agreed upon that is "the Western Canon," nor has there ever been such. A corpus of great works is an idea that has been discussed, negotiated, and criticized for the past century.

  1. ^ "SLE challenges the boundaries of the Western canon". www.stanforddaily.com. 26 January 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  2. ^ "Review: Foundational Myths of Multiculturalism and Strategies of Canon Formation". www.jstor.org. JSTOR 44029759. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  3. ^ a b Wilczek, Piotr (2006). "Czy istnieje kanon literatury polskiej?". In Cudak, Romuald (ed.). Literatura polska w świecie (in Polish). Wydawnictwo Gnome. pp. 13–23. ISBN 978-83-87819-05-7.
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