The Professionalization of 'Intellectuals'

Abstract

I will focus my remarks on the professionalization of literary criticism and I'll start off by making use of the analogy that Frank Lentricchia has drawn between the practice of the latter and the practice of medicine. Noting Michel Foucault's observation to the effect that 'medical statements cannot come from anybody' and his question concerning rights and qualifications ('Who, among the totality of speaking individuals, is accorded the right to use this sort of language? Who is qualified to do so?'), Lentricchia asks the question 'who is qualified, for that matter, to make poetic statements, or statements that will fulfil the conditions of literary criticism?' But surely I hope someone will object—there can be no question of anyone's being accorded the right to do literary criticism? And as far as qualifications are concerned, it is surely a mistake to think that they are in any way guaranteed by academic degrees. It may be necessary to use a terminology of rights and qualifications in order to regulate the practice of medicine, but it is perverse to try to apply it to literary criticism. Over and above the limitations and opportunities provided by the number of words available and the kind of audience being addressed, what will determine whether or not it is good literary criticism will be the presence or absence of such qualities as intelligence, knowledge, and sensitivity to language.