Comments on Joseph Carroll’s Chapter (2018) "Evolutionary Literary Theory"

By Razie Mah

Hard-working Joseph Carroll publishes “Evolutionary Literary Theory" in A Companion to Literary Theory (first edition, edited by David H. Richter, 2018; John Wiley and Sons Ltd., New York; pages 425-438). He follows the current paradigm, where humans are constituted as a suite of solutions to the environment of evolutionary adaptation. He does not register the possibility that evolutionary scientists are detailing proximate niches, rather than an ultimate niche.
Evolutionary psychology, like all sciences, lacks perspective. Indeed, science veils perspective in order to get its job done. Science truncates the three-level interscope of content, situation and perspective, turning it into a two-level interscope of content and situation, characteristic of sensible thought.
Literary theory focuses on perspectives. So, initially, evolutionary literary theory denounces post-structuralist literary theories for lack of scientific "understanding". This is short sighted. Current literary theories hide behind the curtain acknowledged by scientific research, even as they ignore the content and situation of biology. They play on the perspective level.
As long as scientists detail proximate niches in human evolution, literary theorists are safely hidden, like needles in a haystack.
Carroll does not want to expose them. He wants to draw them out, into the open, as perspectives that defend themselves with pointed critiques of the literature that they should make more digestible, more flavorful and yummy. Yet, he cannot see their common weakness. Nor, can he envision the missing facet that evolutionary science assumes, but cannot measure, observe or mathematically model.
What is the human's ultimate niche?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Razie Mah
• Release date: Mar 3, 2019
• ISBN: 9781942824626

Razie Mah

See website for bio.

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Comments on Joseph Carroll’s Chapter (2018) Evolutionary Literary Theory

By Razie Mah

Published for Smashwords.com

2019

Notes on Text

This work comments on an chapter appearing in A Companion to Literary Theory, first edition, edited by David H. Richter, and published in 2018 by John Wiley & Sons (New York).

These comments rely on models developed in the suggested readings. These models include the category-based nested form, the two-level and three-level interscope and the intersection.

Single quotes and italics are used to group words together.

Suggested readings include A Primer on the Category-Based Nested Form, A Primer on Sensible and Social Construction, plus the chapters on meaning and presence in How To Define the Word Religion.

Table of Contents

What Stands Behind the Veil

Does Evolutionary Biology Govern Ideas

Co-Evolution

What is the Adaptive Function of Literature

A Model With Standing

What Stands Behind the Veil

0001 In 2018, Joseph Carroll publishes a contribution to A Companion to Literary Theory (edited by David H. Richter, John Wiley & Sons, N.Y.). Numbered 34, this chapter must not have