Criticism, Philosophy and the Differend

Abstract

On the face of it, criticism, especially when it is attentive to current theory, should share common ground with the philosophy of literature. But the separate development of the two disciplines—in departments of literature and Anglo-American philosophy, respectively—has led to a divergence of focus that distinguishes them from one another on a range of issues. Jean-François Lyotard defines ‘the differend’ as a divide that cannot be bridged, or a difference that cannot be resolved for lack of a rule that ultimately binds both parties. Do criticism and philosophy face a differend, or can they combine to answer shared questions?