The Task of the Critic: Terry Eagleton in Dialogue
This comprehensive volume of interviews covers both his life and the development of his thought and politics. Lively and insightful, they will appeal not only to those with an interest in Eagleton himself, but to all those interested in the evolution of radical politics, modernism, cultural theory, the history of ideas, sociology, semantic inquiry and the state of Marxist theory.
Paperback, 368 pages
ISBN: 9781844673391
December 2009
$29.95 / £17.99
Reviews
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“Second to none among cultural critics writing in the English language today.”
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“A combative, fiercely articulate and witty Marxist literary critic.”
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“Eagleton is informative, witty and wise. ”
Blog
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Terry Eagleton in praise of Marx
Terry Eagleton defends Marx's legacy in the Chronicle of Higher Education, answering many of the usual tropes and explaining why the financial crises have prompted a resurgence of interest in the questions raised by Marx's thought:
The truth is that Marx was no more responsible for the monstrous oppression of the communist world than Jesus was responsible for the Inquisition. For one thing, Marx would have scorned the idea that socialism could take root in desperately impoverished, chronically backward societies like Russia and China. If it did, then the result would simply be what he called "generalized scarcity," by which he means that everyone would now be deprived, not just the poor. It would mean a recycling of "the old filthy business"—or, in less tasteful translation, "the same old crap." Marxism is a theory of how well-heeled capitalist nations might use their immense resources to achieve justice and prosperity for their people. It is not a program by which nations bereft of material resources, a flourishing civic culture, a democratic heritage, a well-evolved technology, enlightened liberal traditions, and a skilled, educated work force might catapult themselves into the modern age ...
There is a sense in which the whole of Marx's writing boils down to several embarrassing questions: Why is it that the capitalist West has accumulated more resources than human history has ever witnessed, yet appears powerless to overcome poverty, starvation, exploitation, and inequality? What are the mechanisms by which affluence for a minority seems to breed hardship and indignity for the many? Why does private wealth seem to go hand in hand with public squalor? Is it, as the good-hearted liberal reformist suggests, that we have simply not got around to mopping up these pockets of human misery, but shall do so in the fullness of time? Or is it more plausible to maintain that there is something in the nature of capitalism itself which generates deprivation and inequality, as surely as Charlie Sheen generates gossip? ...
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Terry Eagleton in New York to speak on “The New Atheism and the War on Terror”
This Wednesday November 10, Terry Eagleton will speak on "The New Atheism and the War on Terror" at New York's Heyman Center for the Humanities. What to read ahead of the talk? The Task of the Critic: Terry Eagleton in Dialogue, a comprehensive volume of interviews covering both his life and the development of his thought and politics should certainly be top of the list ...
