The Philosophy of Modern Literary Theory

Book excerpt: A remarkable, systematic reconstruction of the philosophical and aesthetic foundations of the major literary theories, from Anglo-American New Criticism to Deconstruction and Postmodernism. The book ranges across not just the philosophical underpinnings of English Literature but also the critical literatures of Eastern Europe, France, Germany, Italy and North America. For the first time, the major schools of literary theory are set within their philosophical context. The book is likely to become the standard introduction to the study of literary theory.