Critical Conditions

Providing a sophisticated critique of contemporary foundationist debate, this work contributes significantly to the current revaluation of theoretical discourse with implications for philosophers as well as literary theorists.

List of contents

Introduction; 1. Fish's strong conventions: the mind's own world; 2. Brave new words: postmoderism on epistemology; 3. Theory and/or deconstruction: Derrida slippage; 4. Gadamer's universalism: the limits of hermeneutic authority; 5. Critical politics: deconstruction for Americans; 6. Foucault's microphysical politics: big brother is missing; 7. Habermas' neo-formalism: theory as praxis; 8. Critical theory and postmodern localism: rebels without a cause; Conclusion.

Summary

The postmodern debate has been heavily influenced by often contradictory conclusions about the foundations of knowledge. In this 1994 book, Horace Fairlamb examines the history of foundationism and analyses the work of leading theorists including Fish, Foucault, Gadamer and Habermas, in order to argue for a less reductive and less arbitrary theory of knowledge and meaning.

Product details

• Authors: Horace L. Fairlamb
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 10.01.2011
• EAN: 9780521456654
• ISBN: 978-0-521-45665-4
• No. of pages: 286
• Dimensions: 140 mm x 216 mm x 17 mm
• Weight: 407 g
• Series: Literature, Culture, Theory
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Non-fiction book > Philosophy, religion > Philosophy: general, reference works