by Seamus Deane
First published 2000
Seamus Deane tackles a central question facing literary scholarship: does its future hinge on rethinking aesthetics? He draws from an expansive range of thinkers including Acker, Adorno, Blanchot, Deleuze, Derrida, Joyce, Levinas, Nancy, and Wordsworth to build his case. Deane argues that aesthetics must be understood through a dual lens: both as something shaped by cultural forces and as a critical tool for examining those same forces. His approach weaves together continental philosophy with literary theory to map new directions for the field. The book offers readers a framework for understanding how aesthetic theory can both emerge from and challenge its cultural moment.
Genres: literary-criticism, philosophy, literary-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic, philosophical
Period: 20th-Century, 21st-Century
320 pages · Hardcover · Northwestern University Press