For Continuity (Classic Reprint)

F. R. Leavis

ISBN 10: 0282336567 / ISBN 13: 9780282336561

Published by Forgotten Books, 2018

About this Item

Print on Demand. This book delves into a thought-provoking exploration of the intricate relationship between Marxism and cultural continuity, examining how Marxist ideology interacts with the preservation and transmission of cultural values. The author contends that while Marxism offers valuable insights into the economic and social forces shaping culture, it often overlooks the importance of nurturing and sustaining the "extra-individual mind" ΓΆβ β the collective consciousness, values, and memory that form the bedrock of a thriving culture. Set against the backdrop of the early 20th century, a period marked by rapid industrialization and the rise of mass culture, the book raises critical questions about the impact of these societal shifts on the intellectual and artistic landscape. The author expresses concern over the potential erosion of cultural standards due to the proliferation of mass media, standardized education, and the decline of discerning literary criticism. Exploring the works of literary figures like T.S. Eliot, D.H. Lawrence, and James Joyce, the author emphasizes the need for active engagement with complex cultural values and the cultivation of a "human culture" that transcends class divisions and economic determinism. The book advocates for a conscious effort to maintain cultural continuity, arguing that the preservation of tradition and the fostering of a critical sensibility are essential for navigating the challenges of an increasingly mechanized and homogenized world. Ultimately, the book's insights underscore the vital role of individual and collective action in safeguarding the richness and diversity of human culture amidst the transformative forces of modern society. This book is a reproduction of an important historical work, digitally reconstructed using state-of-the-art technology to preserve the original format. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in the book.

Seller Inventory # 9780282336561_0

Bibliographic Details

• Title: For Continuity (Classic Reprint)
• Publisher: Forgotten Books
• Publication Date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0282336567
• ISBN 13: 9780282336561
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: New
• Book Type: print-on-demand item
• Seller catalogs:
  • Essays

About this title

Synopsis

Excerpt from For Continuity

But perhaps the most common criticism will not be that the preoccupation of the following pages is insufficiently consistent, intense and intent upon practice. Where something like inconsistency may be fairly charged, and the effects of time found manifest in such ways as to suggest that, here at least, there should have been rewriting rather than reprinting, is in the treatment of D. H. Lawrence. And if I were to rewrite the long essay on him it would certainly be different. But I shall never again, I suppose, be able to give the body of his works the prolonged and intensive frequentation that went to the preparing of that essay, whatever its crudities. It records a serious attempt at stabilising and defining a reaction, and since his, I believe, is pre eminently a case in which the attitude of those who find him important is likely to be a developing one, and not simple, I feel justified in leaving the reprinted pieces, of changing tone and stress (and it is these chiefly which change), to convey together my sense of Lawrence's significance. At any rate, the pro cedure is not merely self-indulgence: I cannot read some parts of the early set appraisal without wincing.