Philosophical meta-reflections on literary studies : why do things with texts, and what to do with them? /

"This book takes up key meta-questions in the humanities, with focus on contemporary literary studies, philosophically examines the nature of knowledge therein and addresses the effervescent question of 'relevance.' Its title is a variation on that of M. H. Abrams's collection of...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: George, Jibu Mathew (Author)
Format: Book
Language:English
Published: London, UK ; New York, NY, USA : Anthem Press, [2021]
Series:Anthem series on thresholds and transformations
Subjects:
Description
Summary:"This book takes up key meta-questions in the humanities, with focus on contemporary literary studies, philosophically examines the nature of knowledge therein and addresses the effervescent question of 'relevance.' Its title is a variation on that of M. H. Abrams's collection of essays and reviews Doing Things with Texts (1989), which in turn echoes J. L. Austin's influential work How to Do Things with Words (1955). Effective research and teaching in any discipline depend upon being able to understand its raison d'ĂȘtre and the modes of reasoning possible in it. Chapter 1 endeavours to articulate a philosophical rationale for the existence of the humanities with reference to what it calls the human world process. The purpose of theory and philosophy lies in offering a conceptual grasp on the world and a clarification of our implicit assumptions. The chapter argues that knowledge in the humanities is of a different order from that in the sciences, and so is its social relevance. Humanistic knowledge has broader subjective and cultural bases, and demands articulation of its connections to the 'real' world, to everyday life"--
Item Description:First published: 2019.
Physical Description:xi, 122 pages ; 23 cm.
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:9781785279768
1785279769