15 thinkers, books, and ideas connected to this field.
American philosopher and philologist who produces baroque scholarly works at the intersection of philosophy, philology, legal history, and medieval studies.
Jacques Derrida's practice of reading philosophical and literary texts to expose the hierarchical binary oppositions they depend on and the internal contradictions that undermine their claims to stable meaning.
American literary theorist who defended authorial intentionalism in interpretation — the meaning of a text is what the author intended — and argued for cultural literacy as a prerequisite for educational success.
British philosopher who mounted one of the earliest and most sustained philosophical critiques of Freudian psychoanalysis as an irrefutable pseudo-science.
American scholar and translator of Giorgio Agamben who has contributed to the interpretation and reception of his work in English.
American philosopher and aesthetician who co-developed New Criticism's theoretical underpinnings and argued for the autonomy of the artwork from authorial intention and reader response.
Aristotle's systematic account of tragedy — its definition, structure, and emotional function — and of poetry as imitation (mimesis).
French literary critic and philosopher who developed mimetic theory — arguing that human desire is fundamentally imitative (we desire what others desire), that this creates rivalry and violence, that all cultures manage this violence through scapegoating, and that Christianity uniquely reveals and deconstructs the scapegoating mechanism.
French literary theorist and semiotician who wrote Mythologies, S/Z, The Pleasure of the Text, and A Lover's Discourse — arguing that all cultural products are signs to be decoded ideologically (Mythologies), that texts are infinitely multiple (S/Z), and that Death of the Author separates the text from authorial intention.
American literary theorist who co-authored Against Theory with Walter Benn Michaels — arguing that literary theory is impossible because meaning just is authorial intention.
American literary theorist who co-authored Against Theory and has since developed a critique of identity politics — arguing that diversity ideology serves to disguise economic inequality.
Postmodernism was a cultural and intellectual movement that rejected grand narratives and universal truths, instead embracing diversity, complexity, and fragmentation.
Scottish author and Christian minister (1824-1905), a pioneering figure of fantasy literature whose works directly influenced C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and G.K. Chesterton. Lewis credited him as his master and spiritual director. His work blends fairy tale, myth, Christian universalism, and psychological depth.
The academic field emerging from the intersection of feminist theory and gay/lesbian studies in the early 1990s — questioning the stability of sexual identity categories, heteronormativity, and the political investments of identity politics.