Thursday, January 10, 2008

Good news, bad news ...

... A "grand narrative." (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

This is great:
... Theory (capitalization is an English department affectation) never operated as a proper research program in any scientific sense — with hypotheses validated (or falsified) by experiment or accrued evidence. Theory was a series of intellectual fashion statements, clever slogans and postures, imported from France in the 60s, then developed out of Yale and other Theory hot spots. The academic work Theory spawned was noted more for its chosen jargons, which functioned like secret codes, than for any concern to establish truth or advance knowledge. It was all about careers and prestige.

But I suspect the late David Stove would have some interesting things to say about a Darwinian theory of art.

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