Introduction to European Critical Theory

This subject is not offered in 2008.

This subject provides an introduction to major figures in European critical theory who came into international prominence in the 20th century such as Habermas, Adorno, Bakhtin, Benjamin, Luhmann, Iser, Foucault, Derrida, Barthes, Kristeva, Irigaray, Deleuze, Lacan and Baudrillard. It will survey the work of the German Frankfurt school and their interrogation of the relationship of aesthetics to politics in response to fascism and communism. It will continue with an exploration of major contributions of postwar French theorists who launch a full-scale questioning of meaning and representation. In these works, reference becomes infinitely deferred, meaning plural; the author or individual speaking subject is no longer the sole source of meaning and the world is mediatised. A particular focus will be the later Derrida, and issues such as memory, forgiveness, reconciliation, sovereignty and post 9/11 terrorism. On completion of this subject, students will have gained a critical understanding of the fundamental concepts and movements which have shaped critical thought and debate in the social sciences and humanities. They will be guided in the elaboration of their own research project, applying critical theory to a work of their choice. This subject is taught in English by specialists. It is based on the study of texts in the original language.

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This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• apply certain methods of criticism on literary texts taken from a range of genres;

• elaborate their own research project, applying literary criticism to a work of their choice.