Literary notes about idea (AI summary)
In literature, the word "idea" operates on multiple levels—as an abstract conception, a flash of creative inspiration, and a vehicle for philosophical or moral inquiry. Authors often imbue it with a sense of weighty significance, as seen when philosophy is interwoven with literature to the point that the idea and its creator become almost indistinguishable [1]. At other times, "idea" punctuates the narrative as a sudden impulse for creation or change, much like a character's offhand mention of an idea for a short story [2] or its subsequent development to steer the plot [3]. Additionally, the term frequently appears as shorthand for broader cultural or ethical constructs, symbolizing ideals such as goodness, justice, or freedom [4] [5].
- 60 The representation of the Idea of man, which is the work of the poet, may be performed, so that what is represented is also the representer.
— from The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 1 of 3) by Arthur Schopenhauer - [He puts the book back in his pocket] An idea for a short story.
— from The Sea-Gull by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov - And that idea, if I can seize the snow-wreathed figures that flit before my fancy, shall be the theme of the next page.
— from Twice-told tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne - We have finally reduced the definite conception of morality to the idea of freedom.
— from Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysic of Morals by Immanuel Kant - The idea of good is one of those sacred words or forms of thought, which were beginning to take the place of the old mythology.
— from The Republic of Plato by Plato
