Edward Said’s theorisations of secular criticism as a foundation for post-critical criticism

Abstract

ABSTRACT Contemporary forces of deglobalisation and neo-tribalism have renewed questions about the public role of the humanities. In this essay, I draw on Edward Said’s reflections of secular criticism and observe how his problematisations of traditional practices of criticism provide a foundational basis for post-critical criticism. Specifically, post-critical criticism is undergirded by an open meta-narrative of cosmopolitan humanism, an inherently porous concept that Said envisioned could counter the closed meta-narratives of religion and nationalism. In practice, post-critical criticism disrupts traditional, authoritative criticism that masks inherited methodologies and conveys the critic as a prophet of enlightenment. More importantly, it pushes beyond the limits of hermeneutical interpretation towards an ethics of visioning and vision-making thus becoming a more productive force for humanity.