Economics is often used in literary studies, but rarely free market economics. Austrian economics, with its emphasis on subjective value (Menger), human action (Mises), spontaneous order and knowledge (Hayek), and entrepreneurship (Kirzner), seems a particularly fruitful source of ideas for literary studies.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sarah Skwire's critique of Valiunis
For a friendly criticism of the Valiunis article I linked to here, read Sarah Skwire's critique on her blog. She raises several valid points in regards to literary analysis. She reminds us that literature is (or ought to be) complex, and thus not easily reducible to simple categories. Which is after all one of the points of doing an Austrian economics analysis of literature rather than the reductionist Marxist one.
Thanks for the reblog, Troy, and for the nice point that Austrian economists, in particular, should be delighted to roll around in literary complexity.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. In fact, it was my interest in complexity and evolution that made me an Austrian-school economist. (It was also my interest in complexity that made me decide molecular biology was too easy and boring, leading me to want to study literature -- and write a little as well.)
ReplyDeleteFor a little of the literary writing, there is now Thyme and Time Again.