Criticism and Politics
A Polemical Introduction
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Stanford University Press
Published:13th Sep '22
Should be back in stock very soon
This paperback is available in another edition too:
- Hardback£66.00(9781503630192)
This book provides an insightful introduction to cultural theory while addressing the role of criticism. It examines key theorists and argues that advocating for change is essential for critics.
"Criticism and Politics" offers an insightful introduction to cultural theory while presenting a compelling argument regarding the role of criticism in society. The book addresses the essential question of what criticism is meant to achieve, particularly in light of the heated debates that have emerged within academic circles and the media in recent years. These discussions have reignited the culture wars stemming from the 1960s, intertwining with national politics and prompting a reevaluation of the influence that critics hold.
The author revisits influential theorists, including Matthew Arnold, Walter Benjamin, Fredric Jameson, Stuart Hall, and Hortense Spillers, to unpack the inherent contradictions that have historically shaped literary studies. This exploration highlights the tension between making judgments and engaging in philosophical critique, as well as the balance between democratic ideals and specialized knowledge. The book delves into the complex relationship between political engagement and artistic independence, presenting a nuanced perspective on these enduring debates.
Robbins positions himself as both a leftist critic and a critic of leftist thought, advocating for the necessity of political engagement in the practice of criticism. He argues that striving for societal change is not merely an optional endeavor for critics but rather an integral aspect of their responsibilities. Through this lens, "Criticism and Politics" invites readers to reconsider the purpose and impact of criticism in contemporary culture, asserting that it is vital for critics to remain actively involved in the political discourse that shapes our world.
"Urgent, bracing, and powerfully argued, Criticism and Politics will be controversial in the best sense—inviting us all to debate the purposes and presumptions of criticism on newly articulated grounds."—Caroline Levine, Cornell University, author of Forms
"This is a vivid, engaging, and engaged piece of literary criticism, as well as a vigorous defense of criticism as a method, by one of its foremost practitioners."—Martin Puchner, Harvard University, author of Literature for a Changing Planet
"For those who have been looking for a book to address, head on, the complex connections between literary criticism and politics, this is that book."—Mark Greif, Stanford University, author of Against Everything
"This challenging, bold book helps answer the question of what critics are for. Highly recommended"—S. J. Shaw, CHOICE
"There's much combined intellectual-governance work to do in criticism's pursuit of power within current systems of knowledge. The importance of Robbins's book is to show that this work is part of criticism's past—while also insisting that it must be central to its future."—Christopher Newfield, Los Angeles Review of Books
"[Robbins's] erudite discussion of different literary theorists and cultural critics (from Matthew Arnold to Judith Butler) makes the book an introduction of a unique kind: it is a history of criticism very unlike the ones that merely summarize arguments about different modes of reading texts as made by the theorists from the angle of political standpoints. It is polemical in the sense that it does not shy away from taking sides with critics or positions, even demonstrating intelligent ways of reading them that show tremendous courage in raising difficult questions of literature and criticism, not subscribing to the idea that criticism-as-fault-finding is a less than noble activity."—Soni Wadhwa, South Atlantic Review
ISBN: 9781503633209
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
272 pages