Abstract: Susan Sontag's proposal “anti-interpretation”, although often misunderstood and even simply dismissed as the reassertion of aestheticism, has a profound influence on literary criticism. This essay re-examines Sontag's argument against the background of ethical turn in philosophy and in literary studies, claiming that what Sontag argues against is not interpretation but dogmatic rules of moral judgment. Therefore, interpretation, in Sontag's conceptual system, is not only about literary form but also about humanism and ethics. To concretize her appeal for ethical criticism, Sontag places aesthetics and ethic into culture and engages with them through her creative writing, literary criticism and social activities.

Key words: Susan Sontag, “Against Interpretation”, literary criticism, ethical turn