Meaning What We Say: The ‘Politics of Theory’ and the Responsibility of Intellectuals

‘The desire for a theory that guarantees political radicalism and, idea1ly, political effectiveness, has been strong in recent years’, Jonathan Culler writes. As a feminist literary critic and theorist I know what he means, for I belong precise]y to the group of intellectuals for whom the question of the ‘politics of theory’ has been a cause of concern for a long time. Radical theorists often ask themselves whether the writing they do, which tends to be specialized and fairly abstract, really makes a political difference. Whenever I think about this I feel comforted by the thought that someintellectual works, at least, have had tremendous impact.

Duke Scholars

Author Toril Moi Literature