Jonathan P. Eburne

CMLIT 503: Comparative Criticism II

The Theory Canon

Jonathan P. Eburne (office: 424 N. Burrowes; email: jpe11@psu.edu)

Thursday 02:30P - 05:30P 430 BURROWES

Office hours: Monday 10am- 11:30 am, Thursday 11am- noon, and by appt.

Course description:

This course studies the history of criticism and theory from the 18^th to the 21^st century. Readings and class discussions will focus on the major conceptual problems tackled by the foundational intellectuals who have come to form the body of thought we now know as “theory.” In addition to studying key concepts in critical thought (aesthetics, ideology, materialism, dialectic, hegemony, deconstruction, power, etc), this course will examine how these concepts shape the work of literary, cultural, and aesthetic criticism.

Why are certain theorists more significant than others? To what extent does the work of theorists determine the possibilities for the study of literature and culture? These theorists form a canon, to the extent that the terms and concepts they use form part of the lingua franca of literary and cultural studies. Yet whereas the issue of canonicity has often been discussed in the field of literature during the past 30 years, it is rarely discussed in the field of literary criticism and critical theory.

This course aims to open up new avenues in contemporary thought by studying the canonicity of “theorists” and their ideas. To this end, this course will ask how issues of aesthetics in the works of these thinkers relate to their ideas about morality, history, politics, and epistemology. What other genealogies become possible? How do we articulate the conceptual stakes of our own work as scholars and intellectuals?

Course requirements:

Everyone is expected to participate vocally in class, and with keen intellectual engagement.

Oral requirements: in addition to regular participation, there will be one 15-minute pedagogically-oriented oral presentation during the semester, and two oral responses. (i.e. each oral presentation will be followed by 2 responses to the presentation). There will also be a final class conference at the semester’s end.

Written requirements: students may, depending on their fields of specialization, write either: A) two 10-12 page essays, one due before spring break, the other due at the end of the term; or B) four 5-6 page essays, two due before spring break, and two more due in the second half of the semester.

In addition, everyone will prepare a presentation on her or his work (roughly ten minutes) for the final class conference. This will be based on either the final essay, or on the aggregate intellectual project developed over the course of the semester.