'Analysis leaves off': The Use and Abuse of Philosophy in Walter Pater's Renaissance

This dissertation analyses the philosophical content of Walter Pater's The Renaissance. Since the book's publication in 1873 there has been a marked distinction between critics who have interpreted it as a work of serious philosophic import and those who have valued it more as a literary achievement. However, whilst many critics have attempted to decipher Pater's philosophical vision, few have subjected the text to a sufficiently searching and evaluative reading. This dissertation offers such a reading. Scrutinising the controversial 'Preface' and 'Conclusion', this study discovers beneath a veneer of philosophical profundity, a shy desire to evade philosophical analysis. The dissertation then progresses to examine the correlation between Pater's general statements of belief and the more particular intellectual content of his writing. Lastly, this study analyses the minutiae of Pater's writing style, arguing that his desire to avoid philosophy is written into the smallest details of The Renaissance.