Theory on theory.

Abstract

Theory on Theory' names a body of work which investigates the inheritances of theory and suggests future directions. As David Winters has observed in a previous edition, writing of this kind has been associated with declarations of the'death of theory' (YWCCT 22:i[2014] 2), the contention that we exist 'after' it. On the contrary: theory continues to mutate. This chapter will focus upon work published in 2015; the variety of topics covered attests to the growing range of theoretical concerns. There have been re-evaluations of the work of major figures in the field: a new journal focusing on the work of Roland Barthes, accompanied by a feast of newly-translated material written by him, prompts a consideration of his legacy and its significance for future work; studies of the relationships between the ideas of Walter Benjamin and Theodor Adorno, and of Lacan and Marx, add new insights to the existing scholarship on these thinkers and demonstrate the ways in which they can continue to illuminate theoretical debate. Books drawing on a range of theoretical and philosophical sources have also appeared on the nature of literature, the recent development of interest in the 'nonhuman', and the 'horror of philosophy'.