Contingency Blues: Search for Foundations in American Criticism (Wisconsin Project on American Writers): The Search for Foundations in American Criticism - Softcover

Jay, Paul

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0299154149 ISBN 13: 9780299154141

Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press, 1997

Synopsis

Paul Jay focuses his analysis on two strands of American criticism. The first attempts to revive what Jay insists is an anachronistic pragmatism derived from Emerson, James and Dewey. The second tends to reduce American criticism to a metadiscourse about the contingent grounds of knowledge.

About this title

Review:

"An excellent book, it sharply and helpfully mediates the recent debates sparked by pragmatist attacks on foundationalism over the 'legitimation crisis' of modernity, and it shows, as no book has yet done, the specific relevance of these debates to American cultural criticism since Emerson."--Gerald Graff, University of Chicago

"Jay makes a major contribution to theoretical debates about poststructuralism and disciplinary controversies involving cultural analyses and ethnic studies. "Contingency Blues" will be of interest to a wide range of scholars and theorists, including those in cultural studies, philosophy, history of rhetoric, critical theory, speech communications, American studies, and rhetorical studies generally."--Steven Mailloux, University of California-Irvine

An excellent book, it sharply and helpfully mediates the recent debates sparked by pragmatist attacks on foundationalism over the legitimation crisis of modernity, and it shows, as no book has yet done, the specific relevance of these debates to American cultural criticism since Emerson. Gerald Graff, University of Chicago"

Jay makes a major contribution to theoretical debates about poststructuralism and disciplinary controversies involving cultural analyses and ethnic studies. "Contingency Blues" will be of interest to a wide range of scholars and theorists, including those in cultural studies, philosophy, history of rhetoric, critical theory, speech communications, American studies, and rhetorical studies generally. Steven Mailloux, University of California Irvine"

An excellent book, it sharply and helpfully mediates the recent debates sparked by pragmatist attacks on foundationalism over the legitimation crisis of modernity, and it shows, as no book has yet done, the specific relevance of these debates to American cultural criticism since Emerson. Gerald Graff, University of Chicago

"

Jay makes a major contribution to theoretical debates about poststructuralism and disciplinary controversies involving cultural analyses and ethnic studies. Contingency Blues will be of interest to a wide range of scholars and theorists, including those in cultural studies, philosophy, history of rhetoric, critical theory, speech communications, American studies, and rhetorical studies generally. Steven Mailloux, University of California Irvine

"

From the Back Cover:

This excellent book, sharply and helpful mediates the recent debates sparked by pragmatist attacks on foundationalism over the 'legitimation crisis' of modernity, and it shows, as no book has done, the specific relevance of these debates to American cultural criticism since Emerson. Part intellectual history, part cultural critique, this provocative book is an effort to shake American thought out of the grip of the nineteenth century-and out of its contingency blues.

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Wisconsin Press
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0299154149
• ISBN 13: 9780299154141
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 236