The Concepts Of Criticism

Provocative and penetrating, these essays attest to Mr. Wellek’s intense concern during the past two decades with the problems besetting the disciplines of literary theory, criticism, and history. Each essay accordingly sets as its goal the development of a concept that will contribute to better understanding of the literary work. Trenchant investigation of such significant critical concepts as baroque, romanticism, and realism are complemented by illuminating surveys of the current state of literary criticism and related commentaries on contemporary literary theory and scholarship. Concepts of Criticism constitutes a valuable statement of Mr. Wellek’s theoretical position. A number of the essays are published for the first time and a bibliography of Mr. Wellek’s publications is included. René Wellek, author of A History of Modern Criticism, 1750-1950, is Sterling Professor of Comparative Literature at Yale.

Provocative and penetrating, these essays attest to Mr. Wellek's intense concern during the past two decades with the problems besetting the disciplines of literary theory, criticism, and history. Each essay accordingly sets as its goal the development of a concept that will contribute to better understanding of the literary work. Trenchant investigation of such significant critical concepts as baroque, romanticism, and realism are complemented by illuminating surveys of the current state of literary criticism and related commentaries on contemporary literary theory and scholarship. "Concepts of Criticism "constitutes a valuable statement of Mr. Wellek's theoretical position. A number of the essays are published for the first time and a bibliography of Mr. Wellek's publications is included. Rene Wellek, author of "A History of Modern Criticism, 1750-1950," is Sterling Professor of Comparative Literature at Yale.

Arthur Asa Berger's unique ability to translate difficult theories into accessible language makes this book an ideal introduction to cultural criticism. Berger covers the key theorists, concepts, and subject areas, from literary, sociological and psychoanalytical theories to semiotics and Marxism. Cultural Criticism breathes new life into the discipline by making these theories relevant to students' lives. The author illustrates his explanations with excerpts from classic works giving readers a sense of the important thinkers' styles and helping place them in their context. Berger also provides a comprehensive bibliography on cultural criticism for those who wish to explore the topics at greater length. Cultural Criticism is the perfect undergraduate supplemental text for such courses as media studies, literary criticism, and popular culture.

Tbis inquiry may be thought of as a sequel to The Concepts of Value and as an extension of the brief core-vocabulary of aesthetic concepts found in one of the appendices to it. In terms of sheer numbers, most of the value concepts of our language are to be found in the area of human relations and of the aesthetic. There are also other value vocabularies, shorter but equally important, for example, the cognitive and logical. These and other objects of pbilosopbical study (for example, the question of "other minds") deserve the kind of empirical survey that has been made of moral and aesthetic notions, if only to test a priori approaches to them. In the present studyan even more determined empirical approach than that adopted for the first has been found necessary. Once the moral or human value vocabulary has been identified, sentential contexts for the use of the terms readily come to mind. In a study of the language of criticism, however, the vocabulary has first to be sought in the utterances of critics themselves and quoted in sufficient context to make their critical intentions clear. The outcome is that the present study is of great length, about half of it being quotations from critics. The rule adopted for arriving at tbis length go on collecting quotations as long as new types of appraisal came was to to light.

German radicals of the 1960s announced the death of literature. For them, literature both past and present, as well as conventional discussions of literary issues, had lost its meaning. In The Institution of Criticism, Peter Uwe Hohendahl explores the implications of this crisis from a Marxist perspective and attempts to define the tasks and responsibilities of criticism in advanced capitalist societies. Hohendahl takes a close look at the social history of literary criticism in Germany since the eighteenth century. Drawing on the tradition of the Frankfurt School and on Jürgen Habermas's concept of the public sphere, Hohendahl sheds light on some of the important political and social forces that shape literature and culture. The Institution of Criticism is made up of seven essays originally published in German and a long theoretical introduction written by the author with English-language readers in mind. This book conveys the rich possibilities of the German perspective for those who employ American and French critical techniques and for students of contemporary critical theory.

Not a general dictionary of literary terms, the Dictionary of Concepts in Literary Criticism and Theory treats seventy fundamental and overarching concepts from allegory and allusion to tragedy and unity. By concepts is meant broad terms that designate modes of thought about, approaches to, or major classifications of literature that are of central importance to the history or present pursuit of literary criticism and commentary. Particular attention has been given to distinguishing the different senses in which a term has been used or is presently used, to noting major questions that have been debated in relation to the concept, and to documenting points of view and specific aspects with full references. Additional sources of information are appended in each case. Useful especially to students and faculty in literature and to literary critics, the concepts are lucidly presented in essays that can enlighten any reader interested in more than superficial definitions.

Tbis inquiry may be thought of as a sequel to The Concepts of Value and as an extension of the brief core-vocabulary of aesthetic concepts found in one of the appendices to it. In terms of sheer numbers, most of the value concepts of our language are to be found in the area of human relations and of the aesthetic. There are also other value vocabularies, shorter but equally important, for example, the cognitive and logical. These and other objects of pbilosopbical study (for example, the question of "other minds") deserve the kind of empirical survey that has been made of moral and aesthetic notions, if only to test a priori approaches to them. In the present studyan even more determined empirical approach than that adopted for the first has been found necessary. Once the moral or human value vocabulary has been identified, sentential contexts for the use of the terms readily come to mind. In a study of the language of criticism, however, the vocabulary has first to be sought in the utterances of critics themselves and quoted in sufficient context to make their critical intentions clear. The outcome is that the present study is of great length, about half of it being quotations from critics. The rule adopted for arriving at tbis length go on collecting quotations as long as new types of appraisal came was to to light.