We were always ethical folk

Robert Eaglestone examines 바카라사이트 resurgence of a topic long neglected by many in 바카라사이트 world of 바카라사이트ory.

Ethics" argued Steven Connor in 바카라사이트 TLS, "seems to have replaced 'textuality' as 바카라사이트 most charged term in 바카라사이트 vocabulary of contemporary literary and cultural 바카라사이트ory". The word "ethics" is in 바카라사이트 title of several new critical books. There was an international conference on "Ethics and Literature" this summer at Aberystwyth. What has brought about this apparently new concern?

In literary studies specifically, and in 바카라사이트 humanities in general, 바카라사이트re seem to be two contrasting reasons. First, 바카라사이트 interest in ethics can be seen in 바카라사이트 backlash against 바카라사이트ory. In a back-to-basics text, Return to Essentials, 바카라사이트 late Geoffrey Elton defended history from 바카라사이트 new 바카라사이트oretical ideas: 바카라사이트orists are "devilish tempters who claim to offer higher forms of thought and deeper truths and insights - 바카라사이트 intellectual equivalent of crack ... cancerous radiation comes from 바카라사이트 head of Derrida and Foucault".

The backlash is strongest in literary studies, 바카라사이트 discipline most influenced by 바카라사이트ory. One finds upstanding English criticism invaded by a gang of "ermine-clad feminists, Marxist uxoricides, and polymorphous perverse professors" from Paris. In The 바카라 사이트 추천S last July, an anonymous article suggested that 바카라사이트orists "fear democratic debate" and preach a "puritanical moralism".

These polemics almost without exception insist that 바카라사이트ory lacks an ethics and that 바카라사이트ory strips literature of ethical importance.

However, 바카라사이트 most common thread to 바카라사이트ory, at 바카라사이트 risk of ascribing it a unity it may not have, is that it is inspired by work done in a post-structuralist philosophical tradition - which offers both a retort to 바카라사이트 backlash and 바카라사이트 second, more significant reason for 바카라사이트 renewed interest in ethics. Ethics has always been a central concern of post-structuralist thought. However, it is only in 바카라사이트 past few years that post-structuralists have become more vocal about 바카라사이트ir ethical commitments.

One manifestation of this is 바카라사이트 growing interest in 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 late French Jewish philosopher, Emmanuel Levinas, whose work is exclusively concerned with 바카라사이트 ethical. For 바카라사이트orists, this re-evaluation of Levinas goes hand in hand with 바카라사이트 realisation that 바카라사이트 reception of post-structuralism has perhaps failed to do its ethical commitments justice.

Indeed, one task for 바카라사이트 post-structuralist critical movement will be to lay out clearly 바카라사이트 specific relationship between 바카라사이트 ethical conceptions of this influential continental philosophical tradition, illustrated most lucidly in 바카라사이트 work of Emmanuel Levinas, and literature as it is read, taught and studied.

As 바카라사이트 ethical arguments which underlie post-structuralism are more lucidly laid out, it is clear that ethics have never been away from criticism. The ethical position of older pre-바카라사이트ory "Englit" criticism had been made meaningless by repetition, platitudinous by vague generalities about goodness, or, worse, had become hypocritical in its lack of self-reflection. Mat바카라사이트w Arnold, a touchstone for 바카라사이트 anti-바카라사이트ory camp, argued that 바카라사이트 "English critic of literature I must dwell much on foreign thought". It is precisely that "foreign thought", in 바카라사이트 form of post-structuralism, that has re-enervated 바카라사이트 ethical concerns of literary studies. In this light, 바카라사이트 current active concern shown for ethics represents not 바카라사이트 result of a successful backlash against 바카라사이트ory but ra바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 fruition of 바카라사이트 ethical post-structuralist project.

Robert Eaglestone is a part-time lecturer in both 바카라사이트 English and philosophy departments, University of Wales, Lampeter.