1st Edition

Rewriting the Self Histories from the Middle Ages to the Present

Edited By Roy Porter Copyright 1997
    296 Pages
    by Routledge

    296 Pages
    by Routledge

    Rewriting the Self is an exploration of ideas of the self in the western cultural tradition from the Renaissance to the Present. The contributors analyse differing religious, philosophical, psychological, political, psychoanalytical and literary models of personal identity. They examine these models from a number of viewpoints, including the history of ideas, contemporary gender politics, and post-modernist literary theory.
    Rewriting the Self offers a challenge to the received version of the 'ascent of western man'. Lively and controversial, the book broaches big questions in an accessible way.
    Rewriting the Self arises from a seminar series held at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London. The contributors include prominent academics from a range of disciplines.

    List of plates, Notes on contributors, Preface, Acknowledgements, INTRODUCTION, Part I: Renaissance and early modern, Part II: Enlightenment, Part III: Romanticism, Part IV: Modern and postmodern, Index

    Biography

    Roy Porter

    `..astonishing assembly of essays on ideas of the self,..' - The Guardian

    `The essays are of uneven quality, but the collection is full of provocative insights..' - Terry McCarthy

    'On the whole the editor has managed well to provide a healthy balance between 'overview' discussions and more specific analyses. The subject matter is uniformly interesting and contributors make a habit of raising stimulating isues.' - History Review