Ordinary Language Criticism

Markingareturnofliterarystudyfromtheremotereachesofabstractiontotherealmoftheimmediate,theparticular,andtherealinwhichlanguageandliteraturetrulylive,theessaysinthisvolumearticulateaproductive,newcriticalapproach:ordinarylanguagecriticism.WithrootsintheordinarylanguagephilosophyderivedespeciallyfromWittgensteinintheearlytwentiethcentury,andintheideasofAmericanpragmaticphilosophypropoundedandextendedbyStanleyCavell,thisapproachseekstoreturncriticismtoitsgroundsinthenaturallanguageweallspeak;toexposethetermsofourengagementwithnarratives,arguments,andconcepts-whatWittgensteinandCavellcallthe"criteria"ofourwritingandreading.Resistingmasterformulationsandoverarchingtheories,"OrdinaryLanguageCriticism"doesnotsomuchdismisstheexcitementofthelasttwodecadesofliterarytheorizingasitremindsusoftheexcitementofthesharedcommonenterprisestowhichtheorymaystillcontribute.Inthis,thevolumeandthemodelitoffershavewideimplicationsfortheacademy,inwhichawidespreadersatz-sophisticationhasshortedthecircuitbetweenliteraryworksandthereallivesofthosereadingandteachingthem.WithadefinitiveintroductionbyeditorsKennethDauberandWalterJost,andelaborationsandpracticalexamplesbymajorfiguressuchasCavellhimself,MarthaNussbaum,MarjoriePerloff,AnthonyCascardi,andCharlesAltieri,amongothers,thisvolumeclearlyshowsandexplainshowordinarylanguagecriticismdiffersfromcurrenttrendsandwhatitexactlyitcanaccomplishintheoryandpractice.Theseessaysprovethatbyattendingmorefaithfullytowhatweactuallydowhenweread,wecanmakereadingmoreproductive--canrevealhowextraordinaryandrich,howreallysophisticated,theordinaryactuallyis.