THE NEWSLETTER OF THE SCHOOL OF CRITICISM & THEORY In Theory CORNELL UNIVERSITY WINTER 2017 A Word from the Director The School of Kingdom. Together with numerous and geographic, literary and visual, Criticism and visitors from within the larger Ithaca institutional and global dimensions, in Theory (SCT) community, over the course of long view of which we need to reconceive the is sponsored and intensive weeks they explored idiom and conceptual armature—and, by Cornell a new vocabulary and novel forms perhaps, all too theoretical premises or University and of understanding across disciplinary criteria—of theory and criticism again by a consortium boundaries, languages, and competences. today. The topics they addressed were of some thirty The beautiful location of Cornell varied, broad, and complementary to the major American University’s campus resonated with the deep probing that animated the six-week and foreign singular combination of contemplative seminars. They ranged from ontological universities. moods and energetic fows for which pluralism as anthropological critique to Every summer, SCT’s summer sessions have come to be literature and vulnerability, the concept it assembles four known. of just war, and psychological and Hent de Vries distinguished architectural surfaces. Paulette Goddard Professor of the Humanities and faculty for four Opening this yearly Newsletter, I would Professor of Religious six-week long like to express a special word of gratitude My sincere thanks also go to the visiting Studies, German, and Com- seminars, and four to our eminent seminar leaders: Emily public lecturers; Amanda Anderson, parative Literature, New one-week mini- Apter, Faisal Devji, Michael Puett, and Jonathan Culler, Frances Ferguson, York University seminar leaders. Carolyn Rouse. During the six weeks, and Mariët Westermann, who opened We admit between they formed not only a congenial dream- our eyes to motifs and motivations eighty and one team, discussing their latest thoughts on that were altogether diferent still and hundred participants, who enroll in one the theoretical and political ramifcations added something essential as well. six-week seminar and actively participate of thinking in untranslatables, the They discussed theory and doxa in in all other events (which include all of empirical and practical and not merely contemporary political psychology, recent the mini-seminars, public lectures, flm abstract-moral role played by the idea perspectives on the relationship between screenings, spontaneous reading groups, of humanity, the case made for and narratology and the lyric, deep education, and colloquia with the seminar leaders against reparations within the wider and the humanities in the world. From all around pre-circulated papers). The perspective of social justice, and new these diferent angles, there developed a intensive format of the summer institute ways of conceptualizing religion in conversation that was as unregulated as it enables participants to forge lifelong cosmopolitan and comparative terms. was rewarding; the very gift of thinking. intellectual friendships as well as strong Rare are the occasions where we get connections with the group of faculty to see eminent scholars think on their Yet most of all a word of appreciation and other visitors, which often include feet, witness thought in action, with should be addressed to larger group members of SCT’s distinguished group of all the passion and wider institutional of participants, not only for joining us Senior and Honorary Fellows. In addition and political engagement this so clearly at SCT this past summer, showing up to the scholarly working sessions, SCT implies. I remember well what it takes to each day, doing the many readings, and hosts an impressive amount of receptions, sustain a level of intensity and quality of engaging in all the activities, but also outings, and social events in which common readings and discussions over for the wealth of ideas, the penetrating participants have the chance to interact an extended period and in the company questions, and the sheer promise of more informally with each other and with of some of the smartest and most highly refection and critical practice by which the faculty, Senior and Honorary Fellows, motivated participants one will ever meet they reminded all present (during the visitors, and the wider Cornell academic in a seminar. As seminar leaders, these Q&A session following public lectures, community. colleagues have shown us a model of during the colloquia, the ofce hours, what it still and increasingly means to be and over drinks) why it is again that In summer 2017 the forty-frst session an academic and intellectual presence in those who join SCT love and are deeply of the School of Criticism and Theory ways that are exemplary and worthy of committed to the profession, a profession, convened with eight distinguished emulation. This is how we all learn and lest one forgets, which is a genuine faculty members, four prominent public become better scholars and teachers. calling, as Max Weber taught us, and guest lecturers, and a group of just under whose very future and present carriers 80 participants. The majority among Many thanks go also to the superb they, as participants, are. them are studying or teaching at North mini-seminar faculty; Philippe Descola, American universities, but others joined Shoshana Felman, Avishai Margalit, In this Newsletter, we invite you to read us from China and India, Russia and and Anthony Vidler, who allowed us to the participant essays to follow, which Peru, Palestine and South Korea, and let our minds wander into alternative, individually and collectively provide a from across Europe, including Sweden, if often parallel, universes of thought vivid sense of last summer’s experience. France, the Netherlands, and the United and of practice, broadening the social They capture the range and intensity of IN THEORY 2 Winter 2017 2018 Summer Session: June 17 - July 26 Six-Week Seminars Mini-Seminars Visiting Guest Lecturers Eduardo Cadava Veena Das Homi Bhabha Professor of English, Princeton University Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of Anthropology Anne F. Rothenberg Professor of the “Genealogies of Memory and Perception: Literature and Adjunct Professor of Humanities, Johns Humanities, Department of English; Director, and Photography” Hopkins University Mahindra Humanities Center; Senior Advisor “Ordinary Ethics and Its Critics” on the Humanities to the President and Provost, Peter E. Gordon Harvard University Amabel B. James Professor in History; Faculty Bernard E. Harcourt “Statelessness and Death: Refections on the Burdened Afliate, Department of Germanic Languages; Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law Life” Faculty Afliate, Department of Philosophy, and Political Science, Columbia University; Harvard University Director of the Columbia Center for Paul Fleming “Adorno’s Aesthetic Theory” Contemporary Critical Thought; Directeur Professor of German Studies and Comparative d’études, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Literature; Taylor Family Director, Society for the Sharon Marcus Sociales, Paris Humanities, Cornell University Orlando Harriman Professor of English and “Toward a Critical Practice” “The Politics of Anecdotes” Comparative Literature, Columbia University “Critical Methods in the Humanities: Description, Samuel Moyn Alondra Nelson Interpretation, Explanation, Evaluation” Professor of Law and History, Yale University Professor, Sociology and Gender Studies, “American War” Columbia University; President, Social Science Tracy McNulty Research Council Professor of French and Comparative Literature, Avital Ronell “Moral Institutions and Racial Reconciliation after the Cornell University University Professor in the Humanities; Professor Genome” “Psychoanalysis and Politics” of German, Comparative Literature, and English; Director of Poetics & Theory, New York University Sari Nusseibeh “Trauma Zone - Falling Apart in Literature & Professor of Philosophy, Al-Quds University, Philosophy” Jerusalem “The Humanities in the World” For Online Application and Program Information: http://sct.cornell.edu/ (continued from page 1) the Humanities, ever since. Its former of imagination, while never forgetting directors include Murray Krieger, the concrete political responsibilities that the intellectual life at SCT and convey the Geofrey Hartman, Michael Rifaterre, more abstract refections entail. distinct characters of individual seminars Stephen Nichols, Dominick LaCapra, as well as the spontaneous relationships and Amanda Anderson. Yet the school’s Beyond the infatuation with identities and dialogues that developed outside full history remains to be written, now and cultures, national literatures and of formal settings. New intellectual that “theory at Yale” and the humanities cosmopolitanisms, humanisms and friendships and projects were forged elsewhere have become topics of wider antihumanisms, old and new historicisms during these weeks, old and all too discussion and, sometimes, concern, and their opposing structuralisms, close worn-out intellectual positions were and just as a formidable inventory of or distant reading, mind or matter, happily dropped. None of this would worldwide Critical Theory programs and beings and things, SCT seeks out forms have happened were it not for the happy centers is currently being undertaken of undogmatic inquiry into modes and constellation of minds and bodies, at the initiative of Judith Butler, former moods of genuine