Stein Haugom Olsen’s research ranges widely over many topics in the philosophy of literature and the philosophy of the humanities, though he has also published articles on Jane Austen, William Golding, Hugh McColl, and Henrik Ibsen. With books on Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press as well as edited books on Palgrave/Macmillan and Wiley-Blackwell his work is widely cited. He is at the moment completing a book with the title Critical Concepts and Critical Instruments and has a further book on The Origin of Academic Literary Criticism in preparation.
Publications
Books
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2008) The Structure of Literary Understanding (Cambridge: Cambridge U.P.), pp. xi+235. Digitalised paperback edition of Stein Haugom Olsen (1978). Now also as e-book.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2008) The End of Literary Theory (Cambridge: Cambridge U.P.), pp. vii+232. Digitalised paperback edition of Stein Haugom Olsen (1987). Now also as e-book.
Olsen, Stein Haugom & Lamarque Peter. (1996). Truth, Fiction, and Literature: A Philosophical Perspective (Oxford: Oxford U.P., The Clarendon Library of Philosophy and Logic) pp.xiii + 481. Paperback edition of Stein Haugom Olsen & Peter Lamarque (1994). Now also as e-book.
Olsen, Stein Haugom & Lamarque Peter. (1994) Truth, Fiction, and Literature: A Philosophical Perspective (Oxford: Oxford U.P., The Clarendon Library of Philosophy and Logic) pp.xiii + 481.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1987) The End of Literary Theory (Cambridge: Cambridge U.P.), pp. vii+232.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1985) The Structure of Literary Understanding (Cambridge: Cambridge U.P.: The Cambridge Paperback Library), pp. xi+235. Paperback edition of Stein Haugom Olsen (1978).
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1979) A estrutura do entendimento literario (Rio de Janeiro: Zahar editores). Portuguese translation of Stein Haugom Olsen (1978).
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1978) The Structure of Literary Understanding (Cambridge: Cambridge U.P.), pp. xi+235.
Edited Books
Olsen, Stein Haugom and Peter Lamarque, ed. with introductions (2019). Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art: The Analytic Tradition: An Anthology, second, updated edition (Oxford: Wiley Blackwell, 2019)
Olsen, Stein Haugom, and Anders Pettersson, ed. with introduction (2011). Why Literary Studies? Raisons D’être of a Discipline (Oslo: Novus, 2011), pp. 217.
Olsen, Stein Haugom & Anders Pettersson, ed. with introduction (2005). From Text to Literature: New Analytic and Pragmatic Approaches, (Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005), pp. 202.
Olsen, Stein Haugom & Peter Lamarque, ed. with introductions (2004). Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art: The Analytic Tradition: An Anthology (Oxford: Blackwell, 2004), pp. 576.
Olsen, Stein Haugom & Olav Lausund, ed. with introduction (2003). Self-Fashioning and Metamorphosis in English Renaissance Literature (Oslo: Novus, 2003), pp. 248.
Journal Articles (Selection)
Olsen, Stein Haugom (2018), ‘The Concept of a Literary Genre’, Metodo. International Studies in Phenomenology and Philosophy 6:1 (2018), 41-71.
Olsen, Stein Haugom (2014). ‘Intenções, instituições e indiscerníveis’, Tempo Brasileiro – Literatura e Filosofia, n. 198 (2014), 5-15.
Olsen, Stein Haugom (2011). ‘Outside the Intellectual Mainstream? The Successes and Failures of Hugh MacColl’, Philosophia Scientiae 15:1 (2011), 1-23.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2007). ‘The Moment of Theory’, Critical Quarterly 49 (2007), 88-119.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2005). ‘Progress in Literary Studies’, New Literary History 36 (2005), 341-358.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2004). ‘Modes of Interpretation and Interpretative Constraints’, British Journal of Aesthetics, 44 (2004), 135-148.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2001). ’The Canon and Artistic Value’, British Journal of Aesthetics 41:3 (2001), 261-279.
Olsen, Stein Haugom (2000). ‘La biografia nella critica letteraria’, Inchiesta 30:130, (Ottobre-Dicembre 2000), 8-14.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1998). ‘Hugh MacColl—Victorian’, Nordic Journal of Philosophical Logic — Special Issue: Hugh MacColl and the Tradition of Logic 3:1 (1998), 197-229.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1985). ‘Why Does Hedda Gabler Marry Jørgen Tesman?’, Modern Drama 28 (1985), 591-610.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1983). ‘Valuejudgements in Criticism’, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, 42 (1983), 125-136.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1982). ‘Text and Meaning’, Inquiry 25:2 (1982), 263-270.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1982). ‘The “Meaning” of a Literary Work’ and ‘Reply’, New Literary History 14:1 (1982), 13-32.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1981). ‘Literary Aesthetics and Literary Practice’, Mind 90:360 (1981), 521-541.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1981). ‘On Unilluminating Criticism’, British Journal of Aesthetics 21:1 (1981), 50-64.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1977). ‘Do You Like Emma Woodhouse?’, Critical Quarterly 19:4 (1977), 3-19.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1977). ‘Interpretation and Intention’, British Journal of Aesthetics 17:3 (1977), 210-218.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1976). ‘Defining a Literary Work’, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 35:2 (1976), 133-142.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1976). ‘What is Poetics?’, Philosophical Quarterly 26:105 (1976), 338-351.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1973). ‘Authorial Intention’, British Journal of Aesthetics 13:3 (1973), 219-231.
Book Chapters
Olsen, Stein Haugom (2018), ‘Narrativa, ficção e ciências sociais’, in Helmut P. E. Galle, Juliana P. Perez and Valéria S. Pereira (eds.), Ficcionalidade: uma prática cultural e seus contextos (São Paulo: University of São Paulo Open Books, 2018), pp. 125-46.
Olsen, Stein Haugom (2016), ‘The Discipline of Literary Studies’, in Philip Gaydon and Andrea Selleri (eds.), Literary Studies and the Philosophy of Literature (Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016), pp. 37-64.
Olsen, Stein Haugom (2016), ‘Canon and Tradition’, in Noel Carroll and John Gibson (eds.), The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Literature (Abingdon: Routledge, 2016), pp. 147-160.
Olsen, Stein Haugom (2015), ‘The Concept of Literary Realism’, in J. Alexander Bareis and Lene Nordrum (eds.), How to Make-Believe. The Fictional Truths of the Representational Arts (Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2015), pp. 15-39.
Olsen, Stein Haugom (2011). ‘Interpretation’, in Gerhard Lauer and Christine Ruhrberg (eds.), Lexikon Literaturwissenschaft. Hundert Grundbegriffe (Stuttgart: Philipp Reclam jun., 2011), 130-34.
Olsen, Stein Haugom (2010). ‘Biography in Criticism’, in Garry L. Hagberg and Walter Jost (eds.), A Companion to the Philosophy of Literature (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010), 436-452.
Olsen, Stein Haugom (2010). ‘Criticism of Literature and Criticism of Culture’, in Severin Schroeder (ed.), Philosophy of Literature (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2010), 65-89.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2009). ‘Narrative’, in Stephen Davies, Kathleen Marie Higgins, Robert Hopkins, Robert Stecker and David E. Cooper (eds.), A Companion to Aesthetics (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), 435-37.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2009). ‘Canon’, in Stephen Davies, Kathleen Marie Higgins, Robert Hopkins, Robert Stecker and David E. Cooper (eds.), A Companion to Aesthetics (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009), 179-82.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2008). ‘Why Hugh MacColl Is not, and Will never Be, Part of any Literary Canon’, in Willie van Peer (ed.), The Quality of Literature (Amsterdam: John Benjamins, 2008), 31-51.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2006). ‘Wie man ein literarisches Werk definiert’, in Jürn Gottschalk and Tilmann Köppe (eds.), Was ist Litteratur? (Paderborn: Mentis Verlag, 2006), 72-90. Translation of ‘Defining a Literary Work’, Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 35, 133-142.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2005). ‘History in Criticism’, in Claes Entzenberg and Simo Säätelä (eds)., Perspectives on Aesthetics, Art and Culture: Essays in Honour of Lars-Olof Åhlberg (Stockholm: Thales, 2005), 230-243.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2005). ‘The Concept of Literature: An Institutional Account’, in Stein Haugom Olsen and Anders Pettersson (eds.), From Text to Literature: New Analytic and Pragmatic Approaches (Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005), 11-35.
Olsen, Stein Haugom and Peter Lamarque (2004). ‘The Philosophy of Literature: Pleasure Restored’, in Peter Kivy (ed.), The Blackwell Guide to Aesthetics (Oxford: Blackwell, 2004), 195-214.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2003). ‘Culture, Convention, and Creativity’, in Berys Gaut and Paisley Livingston (eds.), The Creation of Art. New Essays in Philosophical Aesthetics (Cambridge: Cambridge U. P., 2003), 192-207.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (2000). ‘Conventions and Rules in Literature’, in Joseph Margolis and Tom Rockmore (eds.), The Philosophy of Interpretation (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 2000), 25-42.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1999). ‘Spontaneity in Art Appreciation’, in Arto Haapala and Ossi Naukarinnen (eds.), Interpretation and Its Boundaries (Helsinki: Helsinki University Press, 1999), 126-149.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1998). ‘Literary Aesthetics’ in Michael Kelly (ed.), The Encyclopaedia of Aesthetics, Vol. 3, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998) 147-55
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1998). ‘Appreciation’ in Michael Kelly (ed.), The Encyclopaedia of Aesthetics, Vol.1 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998) 66-8.
Olsen, Stein Haugom & Peter Lamarque. (1998). ‘Truth’ in Michael Kelly (ed.), The Encyclopaedia of Aesthetics, Vol. 4 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998) 407-415.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1995). ‘Appreciation, Understanding, and Interpretation’, in Ismo Koskinen, Erna Oesch, and Tere Vadén (eds.), Methods of Reading (Tampere, 1995), 173-190.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1994). ‘The Role of Theory in Literary Studies’, in Lars-Olof Åhlberg and Tommy Zaine (eds.), Aesthetic Matters. Essays Presented to Göran Sörbom on his 60th Birthday (Uppsala: Uppsala University, 1994), 101-13.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1994). ‘London som idé’, in Karin Gundersen, Bjarne Hodne and Magne Malmanger (eds.), Veier til Byen (Oslo: Det historisk-filosofiske fakultet, Universitetet i Oslo, 1994), 57-70.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1992). ‘Critical Theory and Atheoretical Criticism,’ in Jeanette Emt and Göran Hermerén (eds.), Understanding the Arts. Contemporary Scandinavian Aesthetics (Lund: Lund University Press, 1992 ), 81-94.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1991). ‘Merkityksen merkityksettömyys. Postmodernismin hassteen epäonnistuminen’, in Arto Haapala (ed.), Kirjallisuuden tulkinta. Suomen estetiikan Seuran Vuosikirja 6 (Helsinki), 71-80.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1986). ‘Appreciating Pride and Prejudice’, in Jeremy Hawthorn (ed.), The Nineteenth Century British Novel (London: Edward Arnold, 1986), 1-14.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1986). ‘A Glimpse into the Darkness? The Epistemological and Ontological Theme of William Golding’s Darkness Visible’, in Essays in Honour of Kristian Smidt, edited by Peter Bilton et.al. (Oslo: Institute of English Studies), 284-295.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1986). ‘Topical Themes and Literary Value’, in Göran Sörbom (ed.) Kritik och Konst (Uppsala: Institutionen för Estetik, 1986), 46-64.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1984). ‘Thematic Concepts – Where Philosophy Meets Literature’, in A. Phillips Griffiths (ed.), Philosophy and Literature. Royal Institute of Philosophy Lectures 16 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984), 75-93.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1983). ‘Criticism and Appreciation’, in Peter Lamarque (ed.), Philosophy and Fiction. Essays in Literary Aesthetics (Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, 1983), 38-51.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1982). ‘Understanding Literary Metaphors’, in David S. Miall (ed.), Metaphor: Problems and Perspectives (Brighton: Harvester Press, 1982), 36-54.
Olsen, Stein Haugom. (1980). ‘The Concept of Genre’, in Lars Aagaard Mogensen and Göran Hermerén (eds.), Contemporary Aesthetics in Scandinavia (Lund: Doxa, 1980), 157-173.