本論文旨在探討珍．奧斯汀在小說《諾桑覺寺》(1818)裡傳達給讀者的人生哲學觀，就是在道德與美的判斷方面，感性是良好判斷力的關鍵。在二十與二十一世紀的西方，許多珍．奧斯汀的學者們只針對凱薩琳理性能力不足方面作探討，而認為理性能力不足，是她缺乏良好判斷力的主因。然而，本篇論文認為這些學者們太過著重討論凱薩琳缺乏理性的判斷力，而忽略探討她日漸精進的感性能力對她在道德與美的判斷力上產生正面的影響。因此，筆者將藉由深入探究凱薩琳如何透過小說閱讀及人際互動不斷提升她的感性能力，並同時討論她由於感性能力的精進，如何增加她的判斷力，幫助她逐漸擺脫偏見、盲從、以及小說的情節套路。

為了探討前述奧斯汀的人生觀，筆者首先利用十八世紀思想家大衛休謨與亞當史密斯的感性哲學理論，來分析女主角凱薩琳如何經由反抗傳統制式教育、閱讀安．拉德克利夫的哥德小說《烏多夫堡秘辛》、以及與蒂爾尼家族和索普家族間的往來互動，而提升她的感性能力。接著，筆者將討論她如何因感性能力的精進，從而強化她在生活中對道德的判斷力，最終幫助她成功擺脫原先以為面貌姣好、儀態優雅自信、或者口出甜言蜜語的人較為良善的偏見，以及對於親朋好友的盲從。再來，筆者將討論感性能力已精進的凱薩琳如何在理性能力的輔助下，增進她在生活中對道德與美的判斷力，因此使她不再茫然地相信哥德小說《烏多夫堡秘辛》裡，關於丈夫謀害妻子、令人恐懼的哥德式城堡、以及宏偉壯麗的大自然景觀等誇張情節套路，會一模一樣地在現實生活中人事物發生。最後，透過上述對凱薩琳日漸精進的感性能力與道德和美判斷力的分析，筆者將為讀者揭開奧斯汀在《諾桑覺寺》裡所傳達她的人生哲學觀做結論：在道德與美的判斷方面，感性是良好判斷力的關鍵。

This thesis explores Jane Austen’s conception that sensibility is key to the sound judgment of morality and beauty in Northanger Abbey (1818). Many modern critics of Austen’s Northanger view Catherine Morland’s flawed judgments of others through the lens of rationalism, showing how this flaw is the result of her lack of rationality and excessive sensibility. They, therefore, overlook the positive aspects of her sensibility and, thus, do not focus on how her sensibility contributes to her development of judgment of morality and beauty through the novel. This thesis, however, looks at the positive aspects of sensibility in relation to judgement, uncovering Austen’s conception that sensibility is key to the sound judgment of morality and beauty. It explores how Catherine’s improving sensibility contributes to her judgment of both morality and beauty, examining how this enables her to prevent her judgment from being distorted by personal bias, blind obedience, and literary tropes.

To discuss Austen’s conception that sensibility is key to the sound judgment of morality and beauty, firstly, I use the eighteenth-century philosophy of sensibility proposed by David Hume and Adam Smith to examine the romantic heroine Catherine Morland’s development of sensibility. This personal growth is explored through her rebellion against didactic education in the humanities at the time, her interpretation of Ann Radcliffe’s Gothic novel The Mystery of Udolpho (1794), and her social interaction with two families: the Tilneys and the Thorpes. Secondly, I expand upon Hume and Smith’s philosophy of sensibility, utilizing the theory to examine how Catherine’s development of sensibility improves her judgment of morality. In doing so, I look at how Catherine’s developing sensibility enables her to gradually move away from her superficial associations between people’s appearance, behaviors and moral goodness, as well as to escape from her blind obedience to the wishes of friends and family. Thirdly, I delve into how Catherine’s later overwhelming sensibility is balanced by her improving capacity for reason, observing how this development frees her judgment of both morality and beauty from being distorted by Gothic tropes of tyrannical husbands being unkind to their wives, the Gothic abbey, and nature in Udolpho. To conclude, I show how Catherine’s refinement of sensibility prevents her judgement from being distorted by personal bias, blind obedience, and literary tropes. This thesis, therefore, uncovers Austen’s conception that sensibility is key to the sound judgment of morality and beauty.

Abstract...................................................................................................iii
Preface....................................................................................................vii
Introduction:
............................................................................................................1
Introduction...........................................................................................1
Theory.................................................................................................2
Literature Review...............................................................................21
Chapter Divisions...............................................................................26
Chapter 1:
Developing Sensibility and Flawed Judgment of Morality and Beauty....28
1.1 Introduction.......................................................................................28
1.2 Analysis.............................................................................................29
1.3 Conclusion ........................................................................................43
Chapter 2:
Developing Sensibility and Improving Judgment of Morality............44
2.1 Introduction.......................................................................................44
2.2 Analysis.............................................................................................45
2.3 Conclusion ........................................................................................62
Chapter 3:
Developing Sensibility and Refined Judgment of Morality and Beauty...63
3.1 Introduction........................................................................................63
3.2 Analysis.............................................................................................64
3.3 Conclusion ........................................................................................87
Conclusion...............................................................................................89
Works Cited ............................................................................................96

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