An interesting article

[Josh Wilson]

I've just managed to get through this article - and must say that to a large
part, I just don't get it.  

The major flaw that I see here is that human thought cannot be understood
purely in terms of biology. As evolution goes, it may have been handy to
have a brain capable of basic communication to pass on knowledge about
hunting, growing, and even food storage. However, in terms of survival,
there is no reason we should have brains capable of nuclear physics,
international diplomacy, or, for that matter, literature. The brain is
large, expensive, evolutionary unsound organ. Long story short, thought and
the development of thought cannot be understood in terms of pure biology -
it is now a process and science all of its own. 

I also have a hard time imagining, and the author here doesn't seem to
exactly say, how this new science (beyond the rigorous critical theories and
processes we already have) is supposed to help us to understand specific
works of literature or specific authors. I agree that expansive histories of
developmental literature and author's place within that could be interesting
- but we already have criticisms that can look at social and technological
influences on literature - if I'm right that a biological approach to
thought is wanting, then but how else is Biocriticism supposed to be
applied?  

Just two cents, cuz I like intellectual batting about... 

JW 

-----Original Message-----
From: Slavic & East European Languages and Literature list
[mailto:SEELANGS at listserv.cuny.edu] On Behalf Of Matthew Herrington
Sent: Wednesday, January 10, 2007 9:04 PM
To: SEELANGS at listserv.cuny.edu
Subject: Re: [SEELANGS] An interesting article

To call this article "interesting" is to give it too much credit.
"Shrill" and "confused" better characterize it.

-Matthew Herrington


On 1/10/07, Shlomit Gorin <s-gorin at northwestern.edu> wrote:
> Though this article doesn't pertain specifically to Slavic studies, it is
of relevance to anyone
> studying literature.
>
> http://www.theamericanscholar.org/gettingitallwrong-boyd.html
>
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