Magic, Science, and Empire in Postcolonial Literature

The Alchemical Literary Imagination

Fiction & Literature, Literary Theory & Criticism, British, Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science
Cover of the book Magic, Science, and Empire in Postcolonial Literature by Kathleen Renk, Taylor and Francis
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Kathleen Renk ISBN: 9781136582318
Publisher: Taylor and Francis Publication: March 29, 2012
Imprint: Routledge Language: English
Author: Kathleen Renk
ISBN: 9781136582318
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
Publication: March 29, 2012
Imprint: Routledge
Language: English

This book examines the ways in which contemporary British and British postcolonial writers in the after-empire era draw connections between magic (defined here as Renaissance Hermetic philosophy) and science. Writers such as Tom Stoppard, Zadie Smith, and Margaret Atwood critique both imperial science, or science used in service to empire, and what Renk calls "imperical science," a distortion of rational science which denies that reality is holistic and claims that nature can and should be conquered. In warning of the dangers of imperical science, these writers restore the connection between magic and science as they examine major shifts in scientific thinking across the centuries. They reflect on the Copernican Revolution and the historic split between magic and science, scrutinize Darwinism, consider the relationship between Victorian science and pseudo-science, analyze twentieth-century Uncertainty theories, reject bio/genetic engineering, call for a new approach to science that reconnects science and art, and ultimately endeavor to bring an end to the imperial age. Overall, these writers forge a new discourse that merges science with the arts and emphasizes a holistic philosophy, a view shared by both Hermetic philosophy and recent scientific theories, such as chaos or complexity theory. Along with recent books that focus on the relationship between contemporary literature and science, this work focuses on contemporary British literature’s critique of science and the ways in which postcolonial literature addresses the relationship between magic, science, and empire.

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

This book examines the ways in which contemporary British and British postcolonial writers in the after-empire era draw connections between magic (defined here as Renaissance Hermetic philosophy) and science. Writers such as Tom Stoppard, Zadie Smith, and Margaret Atwood critique both imperial science, or science used in service to empire, and what Renk calls "imperical science," a distortion of rational science which denies that reality is holistic and claims that nature can and should be conquered. In warning of the dangers of imperical science, these writers restore the connection between magic and science as they examine major shifts in scientific thinking across the centuries. They reflect on the Copernican Revolution and the historic split between magic and science, scrutinize Darwinism, consider the relationship between Victorian science and pseudo-science, analyze twentieth-century Uncertainty theories, reject bio/genetic engineering, call for a new approach to science that reconnects science and art, and ultimately endeavor to bring an end to the imperial age. Overall, these writers forge a new discourse that merges science with the arts and emphasizes a holistic philosophy, a view shared by both Hermetic philosophy and recent scientific theories, such as chaos or complexity theory. Along with recent books that focus on the relationship between contemporary literature and science, this work focuses on contemporary British literature’s critique of science and the ways in which postcolonial literature addresses the relationship between magic, science, and empire.

More books from Taylor and Francis

Cover of the book Engines of Culture by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book States of Democracy by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book Democracy and Pluralism by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book The Military and the State in Central Asia by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book The Institution of International Order by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book At Home with the Aztecs by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book Combatting the Causes of Inequality Affecting Young People Across Europe by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book Power, Politics and Maritime Governance in the Indian Ocean by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book Queer Movie Medievalisms by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book Melodramatic Voices: Understanding Music Drama by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book Routledge Revivals: Patriotism: The Making and Unmaking of British National Identity (1989) by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book Linguistics, Anthropology and Philosophy in the French Enlightenment by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book Exploring Digital Communication by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book Seven Metaphors on Management: Tools for Managers in the Arab World by Kathleen Renk
Cover of the book A Critical Sense by Kathleen Renk
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