From Ian Watt's The Rise of the Novel - 2

Pages 9-11 discuss what constitutes "realism" in the 18th century novel. We ended with stating that the question of the novel and the reality it imitates is an epistemological debate.

1. Somewhat paradoxically, in Philosophy "realism" traditionally refers to the notions of reality advanced by medieval scholars. -> one that was thought to exist in universals, abstractions (novelists, you remember, emphasized the particularity and diversity in human experience).
2. In novels general truths only ever appear post res - this indicates the beginnings of the "Modern" conception of reality.
3. "Modern realism [...] begins from the position that truth can be discovered by individuals through his senses." (Watt, Rise, 12)
4. This is of course ushered in by the likes of Descartes, Locke and later, Thomas Reid (mid 18th. century)
5. Philosophical realism is characterised as:

• critical
• anti-traditional
• innovating
• preoccupied with semantics
• and, particulars of human experience
• free from traditional assumptions
• => all these have analogies in the novel form. 

This was P12. They won't let me continue numbering (gah blogger) - so rest in later posts.