Abstract
Literary theories have been long believed to have consequences. On the one hand, changes may be brought about in our reading experience and critical practices, and reforms may occur on the other. An entirely different argument, however, is raised by Stanley Fish, who claims that theory has no consequence because of its vain attempts to guide practice while taking a transcendental gesture so as to acquire a general hermeneutics of text from an absolutely impartial viewpoint. Literary theory is, therefore, a descriptive act of interpretation at best instead of an act of interpretation; hence, it cannot bring about any practical consequence. It is belief, rather than theory, that has a real purchase on critical practice. Nevertheless, theoretical research may bring about consequences worthy of our expectation as long as we can no longer take theory as something superior to practice but instead taking it as a form of practice. However, as the consequences could never overstep the border of the academic discipline, they may be powerless in changing the society.
First Page
35
Last Page
42
Recommended Citation
Chen, Houliang. 2013. "What Are the Consequences of Literary Theory? Regarding to Stanley Fish's Non-Consequentialist Concept." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 33, (5): pp.35-42. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol33/iss5/23
