Republic of readers? : the literary turn in political thought and analysis / Simon Stow.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Stow, Simon, 1970-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Political science--Philosophy.

Political science.

Politics in literature.

Physical Description:

xi, 185 pages ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, [2007]

Summary:

What is the proper role for literature in political thought and analysis? Can reading novels make us better citizens of a liberal democratic society? What is the status of argument and reason in an academy dominated by readings and redescriptions? Simon Stow identifies a potentially detrimental literary turn in the contemporary academy, arguing that the study of literature and the study of politics have become somewhat indistinguishable enterprises. Drawing on the work of Judith Butler, Terry Eagleton, Martha Nussbaum, and Richard Rorty, he examines the problematic claims, circular reasoning, and misplaced assumptions that underpin this disciplinary merging, and seeks to defend political philosophy and social science against the rival claims of literature and literary criticism as sources of political insight and construction.

Contents:

Part 1 Theoretical Foundations

Chapter 1 Arguments and Readings: Philosophy in a Postfoundational World 17

Part 2 The Literary Turn in Thought and Practice

Chapter 2 Martha Nussbaum: Literary Imagination and the Public Life 41

Chapter 3 Richard Rorty: Non-Philosopher Kings and the Literary Republic 61

Chapter 4 Terry Eagleton: Is There a Class in This Text? Literary Criticism and Social Theory 81

Chapter 5 Judith Butler: Politics, Literature, and Radical Democracy 101

Part 3 The Future of the Literary Turn?

Chapter 6 How to Read a Novel in a Democracy: Literature and Public Ethics 121

Chapter 7 Beyond the Dolorous Haze: Literature in Political Thought and Analysis 137

Chapter 8 Conclusion: The Literary Turn and Contemporary Political Discourse 151.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 157-178) and index.

ISBN:

079147089X

9780791470893

OCLC:

70207991