9.176 literary theory

Humanist (mccarty@phoenix.Princeton.EDU)
Fri, 22 Sep 1995 00:24:39 -0400 (EDT)

Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 9, No. 176.
Center for Electronic Texts in the Humanities (Princeton/Rutgers)
http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist

[1] From: "Dr. Steven Totosy de Zepetnek" (25)
<stotody@gpu3.srv.ualberta.ca>
Subject: Re: 9.172 literary theory

> Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 9, No. 172.
> Center for Electronic Texts in the Humanities (Princeton/Rutgers)
> http://www.princeton.edu/~mccarty/humanist
>
> [1] From: "Malcolm Hayward, English, IUP, Indiana PA (8)
> 15705"
> >
>
>Interesting question, what is theory. I teach both a history of
>theory class and a modern theory one in our graduate program.
>If the question were, What has theory been? I'd answer, a mode
>of containment, the arm of the law handing out speeding tickets,
>parking tickets, tickets for driving on the wrong side of the
>road. What I'd like it to be is a kind of heuristic (haven't
>used that word in a while) for finding out not what texts mean
>but what they do--primarily at that border between the individual
>and the culture. Malcolm Hayward, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
>
RIGHT ON, HI MALCOLM, THIS IS STEVEN TOTOSY: AS I SAID IN SOME OF MY
PUBLICATIONS I SENT YOU LAST SUMMER: WHAT IS OF INTEREST IS NOT THE WHAT BUT
THE HOW. I WAS JUST TALKING TO SOMEONE IN THE INTERNATIONAL ASSICIATION OF
THE SYSTEMS SCIENCES AND THE PERSON AGREED. NOW, THAT IS NOT SURPRIZING IN
ITSELF, BUT THE FACT THAT IT CAME FROM A SCHOLAR IN THE "HARD" SCIENCES,
THAT IS. BEST, STEVEN>
>
>