Revolution of the ordinary: literary studies after Wittgenstein, Austin, and Cavell

Description

This radically original work argues for the power of ordinary language philosophy - a tradition inaugurated by Ludwig Wittgenstein & J.L. Austin, and extended by Stanley Cavell - to transform literary studies. Toril Moi demonstrates this philosophy's unique ability to lay bare the connections between words & the world, dispel the notion of literature as a monolithic concept, & teach readers how to learn from a literary text. Moi first introduces Wittgenstein's vision of language & theory, which refuses to reduce language to a matter of naming or representation, considers theory's desire for generality doomed to failure, & brings out the philosophical power of the particular case. Contrasting ordinary language philosophy with dominant strands of Saussurean & post-Saussurean thought, she highlights the former's originality, critical power, & potential for creative use.