Kenneth Burke: Rhetoric, Subjectivity, Postmodernism

Literature, Culture, Theory

by Robert Wess

Kenneth Burke's influence ranged across history, philosophy and the social sciences. This important study examines Burke's influence on contemporary theories of rhetoric and the subject, and explains why Burke failed to complete his Motives trilogy. Burke's own critique of the "isolated unique individual" led him to question the possibility of unique individuation, thereby anticipating important elements of postmodern concepts of subjectivity. This book is both a timely and judicious exposition of Burke's long career and a crucial intervention in critical debates surrounding rhetoric, history and human agency.

286 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996