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TerryEagletonreviewsTheLimitsofCritiquebyRitaFelskiLRB5January2017

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NotJustAnybody
TerryEagleton
TheLimitsofCritiquebyRitaFelski
Chicago,238pp,17.00,October2015,ISBN9780226294032

Thetitleofthisbookhasanoddringtoit,sinceinKantianphilosophythenotionofcritique
iscloselyboundupwiththesettingoflimits,distinguishingwhataformofinquirymay
legitimatelyaddressfromwhatisoffboundstoit.RitaFelskisbold,stylishnewstudy,
however,isaboutcritiqueinthelessspecialisedsenseofcriticalanalysis.Itisnotawork
aboutthelimitsofsettinglimitsbutacriticalviewoftheideaofcritique,oratleastofa
certainwidelyacceptedversionofit.Felskifindsthisversionchurlishandmeanspirited,and
thereaderislikelytoendupfeelingthatshehasapoint.
ThecriticalapproachshehasinmindisaformofwhatPaulRicoeurcallsthehermeneutics
ofsuspicion.Onthisview,thetaskofcritiqueistodigouthiddenmeaningsandconcealed
contradictionsinatext,scanningitforthosesymptomaticpointsatwhichitfalters,
deadlocks,disruptsitsownlogicorthreatenstocomeapartattheseams.Thecriticalactis
oneofunmaskinganddemystification,confrontingtheworklikeaseasonedcopbrowbeating
ashiftysuspect.Artefactsarenottobetrustedbutdeciphered.Theirhabitistodisguisetruth
ratherthandiscloseit.Theaimofcritique,asthephilosopherPierreMachereyremarked,is
toknowtheworkasitcannotknowitself.Likemostofus,worksofliteraturearerathermore
spirituallydishevelledthantheycaretoappear,andthetaskofcritiqueistolaybaretheir
blindspotsandambiguities.Indemonstratinghowtheirprojectscomeunstuck,orhowthey
endupsubvertingtheirownclaims,critiqueshowsuptheirunity(asacredcriticaldoctrine
fromAristotletoNorthropFrye)assomethingofasham.Italsohasaninterestin
demonstratinghowapoemornovel,whateveritmaythinkitsupto,isunwittinglycomplicit
withpoliticalpower.
What,however,ifcritiqueitselfwereplaguedbycontradictions?Foronething,its
epistemologyseemstobeatoddswithitspolitics.Inassumingapositionofsuperior
knowledgetotheworkofart,itsitsuneasilywiththeegalitariansensibilityofmostofits
practitioners.Hierarchiesmaybeundoneintheartworkitself,buttheyremainfirmlyinplace
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intherelationbetweenartworkandcritic.Foranotherthing,thereisasmackofthe
Enlightenmentaboutthisapproach,whichisnotaviewoftheworldmostofitsadherents
greetwithacclaim.ItisthetaskoftheAufklrertobringtruthtothebefuddled,selfdeluded
masses,whosesurrogateinthecaseofcritiqueistheselfblindedliterarytext.In
contemporarycritique,however,goodoldfashionedEnlightenmenttermsliketruth,factand
objectivityaregenerallydrapedinselfrighteousscarequotes,toindicatethattheauthoris
fartoosophisticatedtoacceptunreservedlythatDorkingisinSurreyorthatmenreallydo
oppresswomen.Bywhatstandard,then,istheliteraryworkselfdeceived?Andwhydo
postmodernwritersmakeitsoexasperatinglydifficulttosaythatTonyBlairreallydid
hoodwinktheBritishpublicoverIraq?
Thereisaformofliterarycritiquethattakesthisproblemonboard,thoughFelskisbookdoes
notaddressthisheadon.FordisciplesofthelateYalecriticPauldeMan,thereisasensein
whichtheworkofliteraturehasalwayspreemptedorsecondguessedthedemystificatory
workofthecritic.Thetextturnsouttobesmarterthanitscommentators,whoseowninsights
dependonacertainineradicableblindness.Theclosestonecancometothetruthisa
knowledgeofonesselfdeception.Infact,thereisasenseinwhichtheworkofartisactually
anallegoryofitsown(mis)reading,aswellasasourceofresistancetoanyattempttomaster
it.Tograspthistruth,however,requirestheteachingofaMaster,whoinhisrefusaltomake
definitivetruthclaimsisallthemoreinsulatedfromcriticism,andthusallthemore
authoritative.
Inavividportraitofthepracticeofcritique,Felskinotesitssceptical,dispassionate,
adversarial,mildlyparanoidqualities,itsairofembarrassmentwiththeopenandaffective,
itspreferenceforironyoverpassionateengagement.Itis,inshort,atoughminded,rather
machoaffair,andFelskisrebukingofitisinspiredbyherfeministpolitics,thoughshemakes
nobonesaboutthefactthatsheherselfisarecoveringKritiker.(Ihavebeenknownto
indulgeinthepracticemyself.)Whatunitessuchcriticsisaspiritofferociousandblistering
detachmentadesiretopunctureillusions,toppleidolsanddestroydivinities.Thisdesire
dependsonasurfaceanddepthmodeloftheworkofartwhichthelaterWittgenstein,with
hisairyinsistencethatnothingisconcealedandthateverythingliesopentoview,wouldhave
foundominouslymetaphysical.Thelanguageofcritiqueisoneofsymptoms,repressions,
anxieties,disavowals,rifts,cracksandfissures,behindwhichitisnothardtodetectthe
influenceofpsychoanalysis.Or,indeed,ofgeology,asliterarycriticsscrutinisethetextfor
faultlinesandfracturesthatbetraythepresenceofpowerfulsubterraneanforces.
Mostcriticsofthispersuasionregardthemselvesasbeinginsomesensematerialists,soitis
curiousthatinPlatonicspirittheyshouldrefusethematerialpresenceoftheartefactintheir
huntforitsunderlyingessence.TheyareheedlessofLeninsexhortationtorespectwhathe
calledtherealityofappearances.Itisalsoparadoxicalthatwhenconfrontedwithaworkof
whichitpoliticallyapproves,critiqueisboundtobestrucksilent.Itcannotcelebrateit,since
thisisnotitshabitbutneithercanitprobeitforrepressionsanddistortions,sinceitdoesnt
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haveanyworthmentioning.OneisremindedofFreudsobservationthatschizophrenics
couldnotbesubjecttopsychoanalysissincetheirunconsciousprocesseswereallonthe
surfaceinanycase.
MostcriticalwritingofthiskindstemsthesedaysfromtheUnitedStates,andinsomewaysit
fitswellenoughwitholdfashionedAmericanPuritanism.Thehighmoralorpoliticaltone,
theairofspiritualsuperiority,thewarinessoftheaesthetic,thesuspicionofoutward
appearancesasdeceitful,thesearchforaninnertruththatshardtocomeby,theanxious
scanningforsymptomsofimpurity,whichisalsotobefoundinthecultofpolitical
correctness:noneofthisofcourseispeculiarlyAmerican,butitisprobablynoaccidentthatit
hasflourishedsoprodigallythere.FrankKermodeoncewrotethatreadingacertainpoemby
WallaceStevensmadethehaironthebackofhisneckstandonend,astatementitwouldbe
ashardtoimagineissuingfromthelipsofayoungAmericanprofessorinpursuitoftenureas
itwouldbeunthinkableinthewritingofGeorgLukcs.Itisthekindofthinganybodymight
say,andacademicsarenotpaidforbeingjustanybody.
Therearealso,however,politicalandinstitutionalreasonsfortheriseofcritique,which
Felskiseeminglyregardsasbeyondherbrief.Ithasalwaysbeenanembarrassmenttoliterary
scholarsthatreading,alongwithtalkingaboutwhatyouread,issomethingthatalotofnon
scholarlypeopledoaswell.Thisisnotthecasewithbrainsurgeonsoranalyticphilosophers,
whoseprofessionalstatusisuntroubledbytheawarenessthatordinarymenandwomenmay
bepractisingsuchpursuitsintheirfrontparlours.Theexponentsofacademiccriticism,
however,havetraditionallyneededtodistinguishthemselvesfromthosewhoreadCatherine
Cooksononthetrain,eveniftheemergenceofculturalstudiesmeansthatthetwospheres
nowincreasinglyinterlock.Literaryscholarshipusedtobeonewayofdrawingtheline,as
wasthecriticsclaimtobeendowedwithamorethanusuallyrefinedsensibility.Notreading
forenjoymentcanalsobuttressonesprofessionalcredentials,thoughthepracticeofcritique
mayitselfbegratifyingenoughtocompensateforthislossofpleasure.Thedifference
betweentheacademiccriticandthecommonreaderinthisrespectisnotthattheformer
approachestheworkgingerlywherethelatterdoesnot.Commonreaderscanbejustas
criticalasprofessors.Thedifferenceisthatunlikeprofessorstheytendnottokeepbooksthey
feeldeeplynegativeaboutontheirshelvesinordertorereadthemfromtimetotime.Infact,
themoreaworkinvitescritique,themorehighlyesteemeditmaybe.Readingpoemsand
novelshasalwaysbeentoocongenialanaffairtocountasaproperacademicdisciplineways
hadtobefoundofmakingitlessagreeable,oratleastagooddealmoretechnicaland
laborious.Thesituationiscomplicatedbythefactthatthereisacommonreaderinevery
professionalcritic,justasthereisaquerulousinfantinbothofthem.
LiterarystudiesintheUnitedStatesaremorehighlyprofessionalisedthaninmostother
places,whichisonereasonAmericancriticstendtoevolvespecialistidioms,lesscharitably
knownasjargon.Onthisview,tobelucidistomakeonespeacewiththeprevailingpowers.
Itistospeakacommodifiedlanguage,eventhoughinMarxsopiniontherearefewmore
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enigmaticphenomenathanthecommodityform.Theclearisconfusedwiththeplain.Itis
perhapssignificantinthisrespectthattheveryreadableFelski,thoughaprofessoratthe
UniversityofVirginia,comesoriginallyfromtheEnglishMidlands.Thereisalsoayawning
gulfintheStatesbetweenthecampusandeverydayculture,withtheresultthatacademics
aremorelikelytobeconsciousoftheirdeviant,minoritystatus.
Whatthepracticeofcritiquethendoesistoprojectthatsociologicalconditionintoan
intellectualone.Whatispreciousinaliterarytextiswhatismarginal,subversive,aberrantor
nonnormative.Marginsandminorities,theanomalousandtransgressive,arelaudedby
postmoderndogmaasgoodsinthemselves,ajudgmentthatstrangelyoverlookstheexistence
ofserialkillersandneoNazis,alongwiththefactthatthereareplentyofnormsand
conventionswhicharelifeyieldingaswellasdeathdealing.ItiswhatFelskicallsananti
normativenormativity,whichconstitutesasmuchanembattledorthodoxyinsomeUS
politicalcirclesasbelievingthatObamaisaMuslimdoesinothers.
Initsdisdainforthecommonlifeforwhatisfamiliar,naturalandhabitualcritiqueisthe
trueinheritorofhighmodernism.Forbothcurrents,everydayexistencecanbevalidonlyifit
isestranged,disrupted,dismantled,fragmentedorpenetratedtosomedeeper,moreelusive
levelofbeing.TheRussianFormalistspluckedawholeaestheticfromthisprejudicethe
clarioncallofthephenomenologistsistosuspendthesocallednaturalattitude.Ifliterary
modernismsendslanguageoutonaspree,itisnotleastbecauseitisdeeplydistrustfulofthe
stale,automatedworlditreflectsinitsnormalcondition.FromKierkegaardtoHeidegger,
RilketoT.S.Eliot,thelifeofthemassesisdismissedasvacuousanddegenerate.Valueisto
befoundonlyinsomeprivilegedmomentorrareepiphany,somefleetingrevelationorfitful
intimation.Art,ortheory,istheenemyofthenaturalandfamiliar.FelskiquotesJudith
Butlerasdenigratingthefamiliarincontrasttotheotherorunknown,astandard
postmodernmovebutonecontinuestohopeinoneschurlish,outmodedwaythatthe
specieswillremainunfamiliarwithglobalnuclearwar,whilerecallingthatthefamiliarfor
somepeopleinvolvesteachingdisabledchildrenandorganisingthelowpaid.
AsFelskiisaware,nowordinthepostmodernlexiconisplacedinscarequotesmore
compulsivelythannatural.Asuspicionofthenaturalasnomorethananideologicalploy
goeshandinhandwitharemotenessfromthecommonlife.Mostmenandwomenthinkit
naturaltogrieveoverthedeathofalovedone,feelafrissonofalarmwhenembracedbya
grizzlybearorasurgeofreliefatnarrowlyavoidinganatrociousinjury.Inanycase,notall
ideologyisnaturalising.Naturehasservedasarevolutionaryconceptinitsday,whilefrom
EdmundBurketoMichaelOakeshottthenotionofculturehasbeenforthemostparta
conservativeone.Whenthepoliticalregimesof18thcenturyEuropeheardthewordnature,
theyreachedfortheirculturalprivileges.Thenotionthateverythingiscultural,includingthe
Andesandtheaorta,isamongotherthingsapieceofselfflatteryonthepartofsomeinthe
humanities.Itisjustasmuchaformofreductionismorfoundationalismastheideathat
everythingismadeoutofGeistorthewilltopower.
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Thealternativetothisdowngradingofeverydaylifeisnottoromanticiseit,justasthe
alternativetocritiqueisnottogush.Thereisaparticularproblemhereforthepoliticalleft.
Ontheonehand,leftiststendtoplacetheirfaithincertaincommondecenciesandgenerous
impulses.Ifthesewerelackinginhumanity,itwouldscarcelybeworththeeffortofseekingto
transformitscondition.Ontheotherhand,theleftisacutelyconsciousofjustwhata
catastrophehumanhistoryhaslargelybeenasewer,asJacquesLacancurtlydescribedit.
Forthemostpart,thehumannarrativetodatehasbeenoneofbrutalityandinjustice,
wretchednessandsweatedlabour.Itremainssoformanymillionsinourowntime.Ifitdid
not,therewouldbenoneedtotransformthesituationasthoroughlyasradicalsaspiretodo.
Thereisnosimplecontradictionhere.Ifhistoryhasbeendeafenedbythedinofhackingand
gouging,itispartlybecauseviolenceandscarcitymeanthatwehavenotbeenabletoobserve
menandwomenattheirfinest.Thefaithoftheleftisthatinlessburdensomeconditions,
theircreativepowersandcapacitiesmighthavefreerrein.Itishard,however,toholdatrust
inhumanityintensionwithanecessaryvigilancetothehorrorsithasmanufactured.Theleft
mustaccordinglytreadanarrowlinebetweencynicismandcredulity.Therearethinkerslike
JrgenHabermas,RaymondWilliamsandE.P.Thompsonwhocanbetoopositiveabout
ordinaryhumancapabilities,andotherslikeMichelFoucault,AlainBadiouandthelater
FrankfurtSchoolwhoareagooddealtooscepticalofthem.
*
Thisisaboldbook,notleastbecauseFelskimustknowthatitrisksgivingcomforttothe
adversariesoftheoryassuch.Yetitisjudiciousaswellasbrave.Itisnotouttorejectcritique
assuch(thoughitoverstatesitscasefromtimetotime),buttorefusetoidentifyitwith
literarycriticismasawhole.Itissimplyonemodeofsuchinquiry,andshouldnotbeallowed
tosweepasidethosemoreaffective,affirmative,empatheticapproachestoliteraturebywhich
wearesurprised,stirred,reoriented,replenished.TheidealcriticalactinFelskisviewis
neithertodenouncethetextasatoolofoppressionnortocelebrateitasaformof
transcendencebeforewhichallcensureisstruckdumb.Onecanbepostcritiquewithout
beingpostcritical.Itisnot,tobesure,themostoriginalcase.Oneofthestrengthsofpre
theoreticalcriticslikeF.R.LeavisorJohnBayleyisthat,aswellasoccasionallyrappinga
literaryworkontheknuckles,theycanalsoconveywhatismovingorenrichingaboutit
withoutfallingbackinto18thcenturychitchataboutbeauties.
Evenso,thecriticsofcritiqueneedtoremindthemselvesthatthereisalotofselfdeception
about.FelskiteachesinacountrythatelectedanauthoritarianbuffoontotheWhiteHouse.
Thereareindeedconcealedtruths,dissembledpowersandillusoryappearances.Inbeing
charyoftheseductionsofdepth,weshouldnotfallforthephenomenalismaccordingto
whichthingsarealwayssimplyastheyappear.AsMarxoncewrote,allthemostimportant
processesinclasssocietyarecarriedonbehindthebacksoftheagentsinvolved.Helooked
forwardtoasocialorderthatwouldbemoretransparenttoitself.Brechthadthesame
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opacityinmindwhenheremarkedthatputtingafactoryonstagewouldtellyounothing
aboutthenatureofcapitalism.Someofthepowersthatgovernusareasinvisibleasthe
forcesthatrulethecosmos.
OnethemostscandalousinsightsoflatemodernityofSchopenhauer,NietzscheandFreud
inparticularisthatacertainselfdelusionisessential,evensalutary,forhumanexistence.
Indeed,Nietzschewouldseemtoholdthatallcognitionismiscognition,thoughitishardto
knowhowwecanknowthis.Onthisview,falseconsciousnessisachroniccondition.Ifthisis
true,however,itservesasmuchasanargumentagainstcritiqueasoneinitsfavour.Forone
thing,howareitspractitionerstoavoiddelusionthemselveslongenoughtoexposeits
insidiouspresenceinworksofartand,foranotherthing,whatisthepointofdoingsoif,like
someghastlystuffinasciencefictionmovie,itknitstogetheragainthemomentwehave
dispelledit?
Vol.39No.15January2017TerryEagletonNotJustAnybody
pages3537|2936words
ISSN02609592CopyrightLRBLimited2017

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