Reception Histories: Rhetoric, Pragmatism, and American Cultural Politics / Edition 1

From the Publisher

"Steven Mailloux's impressive new book is one of a number of recent books arguing for a return to rhetoric in literary studies. . . . This is an extremely erudite, well-written, and valuable book. The treatment of both theory and practice in the first two parts of the book will prove invaluable to our thinking about rhetorical theory, the new pragmatism, and the challenges of remaining aware of the historical circumstances of reading."—Paul Jay, Modern Philology

"This book is the instantiation of Steven Mailloux's argument that we use rhetoric to practice theory to do history, a deceptively simple formulation of a complex and important intellectual project. Mailloux has long been an advocate of a particular kind of cultural studies, one that uses a range of rhetorical theory (uses rhetoric) in its analysis of texts (practices theory) as a way of interpreting and reconstructing an aspect of a particular culture at a particular time (docs history). His motive for advocating his particular approach is both local and world-scale: for Mailloux this fusion of rhetoric and cultural studies can serve as an intellectual framework within which English departments might live more productive and successful lives; but beyond the local, Mailloux sees in this mode of study the possibility of cross-cultural communication and understanding."—Charles Moran, MELUS

"Reception Histories is an important programmatic statement by a critic whose views of the future of English studies and of the humanities command great interest."—Don Bialostosky, The Pennsylvania State University

"In this brilliant synthesis of rhetoric, history, philosophy, and pedagogy, Steven Mailloux answers the critics of postmodern theory by showing how we can have a rhetorical and pragmatic view of truth without succumbing to a cynical relativism. Mailloux also shows how bringing the debates about truth and power into the classroom can challenge and enlighten our students."—Gerald Graff, University of Illinois at Chicago

"In this powerful and unusual book, Mailloux joins histories of rhetoric and hermeneutic theory, 19th-century American cultural studies, and contemporary battles over curriculum reform in an illuminating reconceptualization of humanistic theory and practice at the end of the century. The scope of the project is daunting. Moving with ease from the ancient Greek sophists and pragmatic philosophy to the current Culture Wars and his own forays into academic politics at Syracuse, Mailloux enacts a cleverly chiasmic scholarly synthesis: a theory of rhetorical practice and the practice of theory in history. Marked by clarity of argument and prophetic passion, this inventive project will speak to scholars interested in rhetoric, philosophy, literary theory and criticism, difference studies, and academic politics. It secures Mailloux's status as public intellectual of the first order."—Susan C. Jarratt, University of California, Irvine