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:

1 online resource (199 p.)

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, c2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

2007 CHOICE Outstanding Academic TitleWhat 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:

Front Matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Theoretical Foundations

Arguments and Readings

The Literary Turn in Thought and Practice

Martha Nussbaum

Richard Rorty

Terry Eagleton: Is There a Class in This Text?

Judith Butler

The Future of the Literary Turn?

How to Read a Novel in a Democracy

Beyond the Dolorous Haze

Conclusion

Notes

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

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

ISBN:

9780791480199

0791480194

9781429498227

1429498226

OCLC:

173152491