Literature and Contingency

Book Details

• Publisher: Routledge

• Author: Christina Lupton

• Language: English

• Edition: 1st

• ISBN: 9780367661496

• Pages: 176

• Cover: Paperback

• Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches

About The Book

Contingency in Literature, Philosophy, and History edited by Christina Lupton is a thought-provoking collection that examines the concept of contingency in various intellectual fields. The concept of contingency suggests that what has already happened could have been otherwise, and this notion plays a central role in European critical and sociological thought, especially in the late twentieth century.

The book explores how literature, philosophy, and history engage with contingency, illustrating the ways in which different genres—from Enlightenment fables to post-war American literature—grapple with this idea. Chapters delve into the contingency found in works by notable figures such as Aristotle, Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen, and the metaphysical exploration of old age, alongside the poetics of contingency. The contributors to this volume provide rich insights into how our understanding of the world involves an ongoing process of thinking about how things might have been different.

Originally published as a special issue of Textual Practice, this volume is of great interest to scholars across a range of literary genres. It is also a valuable resource for philosophy researchers exploring the metaphysics of contingency. Contingency in Literature, Philosophy, and History underscores the importance of the literary critic in helping us navigate the complex, alternative possibilities inherent in human thought and understanding.