Function of Criticism

This wide-ranging book argues that criticism emerged in early bourgeois society as a central feature of a &quote;public sphere&quote; in which political, ethical, and literary judgements could mingle under the benign rule of reason. The disintegration of this fragile culture brought on a crisis in criticism, whose history since the 18th century has been fraught with ambivalence and anxiety.Eagleton's account embraces Addison and Steele, Johnson and the 19-century reviewers, such critics as Arnold and Stephen, the heyday of Scrutiny and New Criticism, and finally the proliferation of avant-garde literary theories such as deconstructionism. The Function of Criticism is nothing less than a history and critique of the &quote;critical institution&quote; itself. Eagleton's judgements on individual critics are sharp and illuminating, which his general argument raises crucial questions about the relations between language, literature and politics.