Critical Theory And The Literary Canon

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, General Art, Art History
Cover of the book Critical Theory And The Literary Canon by E. Dean Kolbas, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: E. Dean Kolbas ISBN: 9780429980824
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: March 9, 2018
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: E. Dean Kolbas
ISBN: 9780429980824
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: March 9, 2018
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

Kolbas stakes out new territory in assessing the war over literary canon formation, a subject that contemporary polemicists have devoted much ink to. Throughout this succinct manuscript, Kolbas ranges through the sociology and politics of culture, aesthetic theory, and literary theory to develop his point that texts not only must should be situated in the historical and material conditions of their production, but also evaluated for their very real aesthetic content. One reason the is an important issue, Kolbas contends, is that the canon is not simply enclosed in the ivory tower of academia; its effects are apparent in a much wider field of cultural production and use. He begins by critiquing the conservative humanist and liberal pluralist positions on the canon, which either assiduously avoid any sociological explanation of the canon or treat texts as stand-ins for particular ideologies. Kolbas is sympathetic to the arguments of Bourdieu et. al. regarding positioning the canon in a wider "field of cultural production" than the university, but argues that theirs are purely sociological explanations of aesthetics (i.e., there is no objective aesthetic content) that ignore art's autonomous realm, which he argues -- a la Adorno -- exists (if only problematically). Ultimately, he argues that critical theory, particularly the arguments of Adorno on aesthetics, offers the most fruitful path for evaluating the canon, despite the approach's clear flaws. His vision is a sociological one, but one that treats the components of the canon as possessing objective aesthetic content, albeit content that shifts in meaning over history.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Kolbas stakes out new territory in assessing the war over literary canon formation, a subject that contemporary polemicists have devoted much ink to. Throughout this succinct manuscript, Kolbas ranges through the sociology and politics of culture, aesthetic theory, and literary theory to develop his point that texts not only must should be situated in the historical and material conditions of their production, but also evaluated for their very real aesthetic content. One reason the is an important issue, Kolbas contends, is that the canon is not simply enclosed in the ivory tower of academia; its effects are apparent in a much wider field of cultural production and use. He begins by critiquing the conservative humanist and liberal pluralist positions on the canon, which either assiduously avoid any sociological explanation of the canon or treat texts as stand-ins for particular ideologies. Kolbas is sympathetic to the arguments of Bourdieu et. al. regarding positioning the canon in a wider "field of cultural production" than the university, but argues that theirs are purely sociological explanations of aesthetics (i.e., there is no objective aesthetic content) that ignore art's autonomous realm, which he argues -- a la Adorno -- exists (if only problematically). Ultimately, he argues that critical theory, particularly the arguments of Adorno on aesthetics, offers the most fruitful path for evaluating the canon, despite the approach's clear flaws. His vision is a sociological one, but one that treats the components of the canon as possessing objective aesthetic content, albeit content that shifts in meaning over history.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Essays on Professions by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book Disability Research and Policy by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book The Use of Self in Therapy by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book Infant Pathways to Language by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book Rescaling Social Policies towards Multilevel Governance in Europe by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book Music Genres and Corporate Cultures by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book Corporate Governance and Banking in China by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book Dickens Adapted by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book Men at War by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book Routledge Revivals: Guards Imprisoned (1989) by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book Gender Equality and Sustainable Development by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book The Olympic Movement and the Sport of Peacemaking by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book European Security Policy and Strategic Culture by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book The Reception of Byzantium in European Culture since 1500 by E. Dean Kolbas
Cover of the book Japan and the G7/8 by E. Dean Kolbas
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy