The Function of Criticism

136 Pages·1984·2.99 MB·English

by  Terry Eagleton

THE FUNCTION OF CRITICISM

THE FUNCTION OF CRITICISM
TerryE agleton
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Preface
PerhapIcs o ulbde sdte scritbheei mpulbseehi ndt his
bookb yi maginitnhgem omenti nw hicahcr itisci,t ting
down tob egina studoyf s omet hemeo ra uthoirs,
suddenalrrye stbeyda s eotf d isturbqiunegs tioWnhsa.t
ist hep oinotfs uchas tudyW?h o isi ti ntendteord each,
influenciem,p resWsh?a tfu nctioanrsea scribetdos uch
a critiaccatbl y s ocieatsya wholeA? c ritmiacy w rite
witha ssuranacsle o nags t hec ritical inisttsieitlsuf t ion
thoughttob eu nproblematOinccaetl h.a itn stituitsi on
throwinn tor adicqalu estiotnh,e no new ould expect
individaucatlos f c ritictiobs emc omter oublaendds elf­
doubtinTgh.e factth ats ucha ctsc ontintueo day,
apparenitnla yl tlh eitrr aditicoonnafli denicsde o,u bt­
lesas s ignth atth ec risoifst hec ritiicnaslt ituhtaiso n
eithenro tb eend eepleyn ougrhe gisteorrei dsb, e ing
activeevlayd ed.
Thea rgumeonftt hibso oki st hactr itictiosdmal ya cks
alslu bstantsiovcei fauln ctiIotni .se ithepra rto ft he
publirce latibornasn cohf t hel iterianryd ustryor,a
mattewrh olliyn ternatlot hea cademiTheast. t hihsa s
nota lwaybse ent hec asea,n dt haittn eedn ot evteond ay
bet hec aseIt, ry t os howb ya d rasticsaellleyc thiivset ory
oft hei nstituotfic orni ticiinEs nmg lansdi ncteh ee arly
eighteecnetnht uryTh.e guiding coonfct ehpitbs r ief
surveyi st haotf t he' publsipch eref'i,rd setv elopbeyd
JurgeHna bermasi nh isS rtuctuTrraaln sfotrimooanft he
PubliScp her(e1 96T2h)i.sc oncephta s probvye dn o
meansu ncontroveristhi oavle:ri sn decisibveetlwye en
ideal moadnedlh istoridceaslc riptsiuofnf,e frrso m
severper oblemosf h istoripcearli odizatainodni ,n
Habermas'osw n worki sn ote asidliys sociafrbolme a
certaviine wo fs ocialwihsimc ihs d eepldye batabTlhee.
'publsipch eries'a notiodni ffictuorl itdo fn ostalgic,
idealizcionngn otatiloinkste;h e' organic soicti ety',
sometimseese mst oh aveb eend isintegrsaitnicniegt s
inceptiIotin sn. o tm y intenthieorne h,o wevetro,e nter
into thtehseeo retciocnatle ntiIoam n sc;o ncernerda ther
tod eploays pecotfst hec oncepflte,x ibalnyd o ppor­
tunistictaosl hleydl, i ghotna p artichuilsatro Irtyg .o es
withousta yintgh atth ihsi storriectarlo spiesbc yt n o
meansp oliticdailsliyn tereIse txaemdi:n teh ihsi story as
a wayo fr aisitnhgeq uestioofnw h ats ubstantsiovcei al
functiocnrsi ticmiisgmh otn cea gaifnu lfiinol u ro wn
timeb,e yonidt csru ciarlo loefm aintainfironmg w ithin
thea cademiaec sr itioqfuru el ing-clcualstsu re.
I must thainnk p articuPlearrr Ayn dersoJno,h n
BarreNleli,lB eltoNno,rm an Feltes, ToFrrainlc iMso i,
Mulhem,G raham PecahnedyB ernardS harratta,l olf
whom have gmiev veanl uabalses istawnicttehh ibso ok.
Ia m alsdoe epliyn debtteodt hew armtha ndc omrade­
shiopf T erry ColalnidDt asv iBde nneotftt heU niversity
ofM elbournei,nw hosec ompanIyf irrseth earssoemde
oft hesied eas.
T.E.