Critical Environments: Postmodern Theory and the Pragmatics of the “Outside” (Volume 13) (Theory Out Of Bounds)

Unique In Its Collation Of Major Theorists Rarely Considered Together, Critical Environments Incorporates Detailed Discussions Of The Work Of Richard Rorty, Walter Benn Michaels, Stanley Cavell, Humberto Maturana, Francisco Varela, Niklas Luhmann, Donna Haraway, Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze, Fredric Jameson, And Others, And Ranges Across Fields From Feminist Philosophy Of Science To The Theory Of Ideology. Offering American Readers A Comprehensive Introduction To Systems Theory And Responding To The Widespread Charge Of Relativism Leveled Against It, Wolfe's Work Will Enhance And Inspire New Kinds Of Critical Thought. Introduction: Nothing Fails Like Success: The Postmodern Moment And The Problem Of The Outside -- Pragmatism: Rorty, Cavell, And Others. The Island Of Belief: Walter Benn Michaels And The Uses Of William James. Making Contingency Safe For Liberalism: Richard Rorty's Evasion Of Philosophy. Coming To Terms: Stanley Cavell And The Ethics Of Skepticism -- Systems Theory: Maturana And Varela With Luhmann. Feminist Philosophy Of Science And The Detour Of Objectivity When Loops Turn Strange: From First- To Second-order Cybernetics. Between The Scylla Of Realism And The Charybdis Of Idealism: Autopoiesis And Beyond. Necessary Blind Spots: Niklas Luhmann And The Observation Of Observation. Politics, Ethics, And Systems Theory. Cary Wolfe. Includes Index. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 154-171) And Index. Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Introduction. Nothing Fails like Success: The Postmodern Moment and the Problem of the “Outside”......Page 12 1 Pragmatism: Rorty, Cavell, and Others......Page 28 The Island of Belief: Walter Benn Michaels and the Uses of William James......Page 29 Making Contingency Safe for Liberalism: Richard Rorty’s Evasion of Philosophy......Page 39 Coming to Terms: Stanley Cavell and the Ethics of Skepticism......Page 49 2 Systems Theory: Maturana and Varela with Luhmann......Page 68 Feminist Philosophy of Science and the Detour of “Objectivity”......Page 72 When Loops Turn Strange: From First- to Second-Order Cybernetics......Page 79 Between the Scylla of Realism and the Charybdis of Idealism: Autopoiesis and Beyond......Page 86 Necessary Blind Spots: Niklas Luhmann and the Observation of Observation......Page 92 Politics, Ethics, and Systems Theory......Page 98 3 Poststructuralism: Foucault with Deleuze......Page 114 Rorty and Foucault......Page 115 A Pragmatics of the Multiple: Foucault with Deleuze......Page 128 Folded but Not Twisted: Deleuze and Systems Theory......Page 144 Conclusion: Post-Marxism, Critical Politics, and the Environment of Theory......Page 156 Notes......Page 182 D......Page 200 L......Page 201 S......Page 202 Z......Page 203 Contents 8 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction. Nothing Fails like Success: The Postmodern Moment and the Problem of the “Outside” 12 1 Pragmatism: Rorty, Cavell, and Others 28 The Island of Belief: Walter Benn Michaels and the Uses of William James 29 Making Contingency Safe for Liberalism: Richard Rorty’s Evasion of Philosophy 39 Coming to Terms: Stanley Cavell and the Ethics of Skepticism 49 2 Systems Theory: Maturana and Varela with Luhmann 68 Feminist Philosophy of Science and the Detour of “Objectivity” 72 When Loops Turn Strange: From First- to Second-Order Cybernetics 79 Between the Scylla of Realism and the Charybdis of Idealism: Autopoiesis and Beyond 86 Necessary Blind Spots: Niklas Luhmann and the Observation of Observation 92 Politics, Ethics, and Systems Theory 98 3 Poststructuralism: Foucault with Deleuze 114 Rorty and Foucault 115 A Pragmatics of the Multiple: Foucault with Deleuze 128 Folded but Not Twisted: Deleuze and Systems Theory 144 Conclusion: Post-Marxism, Critical Politics, and the Environment of Theory 156 Notes 182 Index 200 A 200 B 200 C 200 D 200 E 201 F 201 G 201 H 201 I 201 J 201 K 201 L 201 M 202 N 202 O 202 P 202 R 202 S 202 T 203 V 203 W 203 Z 203

unique In Its Collation Of Major Theorists Rarely Considered Together, Critical Environments Incorporates Detailed Discussions Of The Work Of Richard Rorty, Walter Benn Michaels, Stanley Cavell, Humberto Maturana, Francisco Varela, Niklas Luhmann, Donna Haraway, Michel Foucault, Gilles Deleuze, Fredric Jameson, And Others, And Ranges Across Fields From Feminist Philosophy Of Science To The Theory Of Ideology. Offering American Readers A Comprehensive Introduction To Systems Theory And Responding To The Widespread Charge Of Relativism Leveled Against It, Wolfe's Work Will Enhance And Inspire New Kinds Of Critical Thought.

Cary Wolfe investigates three of the most significant strains of postmodern theory--pragmatism, systems theory, and poststructuralism--and shows how each confronts the specter of an "outside" not wholly constituted by discourses, language games, and interpretive communities. He then assesses these confrontations in light of an essentially pragmatic view of theory, one that constantly asks what practical and material difference it makes, and to whom, how these issues are negotiated