The question of literature

As literary theory has grown more influential interdisciplinary and sophisticated it has come to concern itself with a much greater range of issues and objects than those traditionally considered literary. It now addresses philosophy history psychology politics and the media. Addressing a central and fundamental but relatively neglected issue in literary theory this title seeks to recontextualise how theory has changed our understanding of literature and its questions by relating literature to the institution of the university to ethical judgements and values new media and computer technology and the nature of representative democracy.