The problem of “the real” and “history” for Fredric Jameson : Toward a shift from literary criticism to social theory

Nojiri, Eiichi

doi:https://doi.org/10.18910/71752

The problem of “the real” and “history” for Fredric Jameson : Toward a shift from literary criticism to social theory

Nojiri, Eiichi

Osaka Human Sciences, 2019, 5, 157-183

Number of Access:261（2025-07-23 12:58 Counts）

Identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.18910/71752

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Title	The problem of “the real” and “history” for Fredric Jameson : Toward a shift from literary criticism to social theory
Creator	NRID 1000030308233 1000030308233 researchmap permalink read0141225 read0141225 CreatorName Nojiri, Eiichi
Subject	history as absent cause
	Marx’s Capital as a master novel
	science fiction as a mode-of-production aesthetic
	imagination (Einbildungskraft)
	utopian theory
Abstract	Author aims to elucidate the outline of Fredric Jameson’s theory in terms of the relationship between history and representation. Jameson argues that the representation works are the effects of the structure of history; we can access history as an absent cause only through representations, narratives and fictional stories, which are our formal and imaginary resolution of insurmountable real social contradiction. He prudently avoids and rejects any kinds of attitude to pretend to be able to know directly the structure of history since that kind of subject is to call him/herself a master of knowledge or history. Because of this Althusserian-Lacanian theoretical doctrine, however, his dialectical critical theory ends up having difficulties defending the superiority of science fiction genre as a mode-of-production aesthetic. It also leads him to analyze Marx’s work of Capital as a novelistic representation instead of deriving a formula for interpretation theory from it. After close and overall examinations of Jameson’s scheme on narrative and history, author proposes further developments using Hegelian-Derridean theory on imagination (Einbildungskraft), negativity, temporality and future-ness to find a missing link between the form of private fantasies and the laws of capitalist mode-of-production, which is to lead us to a revitalizing contemporary reinterpretation of Capital’s key concept; the organic composition of capital, as a bridge from literary criticism to critical social theory.
Publisher	Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University
Source Title	Osaka Human Sciences
Volume (Issue)	5
Page	157-183
Date of Issued	2019-03
Language	English
Handle URL	https://hdl.handle.net/11094/71752
DOI	https://doi.org/10.18910/71752
NCID	AA12727839
Access Rights	open access
oaire:version	Version of Record
Category	紀要論文 Departmental Bulletin Paper
Category	Osaka Human Sciences / Vol.5

Resource Type	departmental bulletin paper
Local Type	Departmental Bulletin Paper
DCMI Type	Text
DCTERMS.bibliographicCitation	Osaka Human Sciences. 2019, 5, p. 157-183
DC.title	The problem of “the real” and “history” for Fredric Jameson : Toward a shift from literary criticism to social theory
DC.creator	Nojiri, Eiichi
DC.publisher	Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University
DC.language' scheme='DCTERMS.RFC1766	English
DC.type' scheme='DCTERMS.DCMIType	Text
DCTERMS.issued' scheme='DCTERMS.W3CDTF	2019-03
DC.subject	history as absent cause
	Marx’s Capital as a master novel
	science fiction as a mode-of-production aesthetic
	imagination (Einbildungskraft)
	utopian theory
DCTERMS.abstract	Author aims to elucidate the outline of Fredric Jameson’s theory in terms of the relationship between history and representation. Jameson argues that the representation works are the effects of the structure of history; we can access history as an absent cause only through representations, narratives and fictional stories, which are our formal and imaginary resolution of insurmountable real social contradiction. He prudently avoids and rejects any kinds of attitude to pretend to be able to know directly the structure of history since that kind of subject is to call him/herself a master of knowledge or history. Because of this Althusserian-Lacanian theoretical doctrine, however, his dialectical critical theory ends up having difficulties defending the superiority of science fiction genre as a mode-of-production aesthetic. It also leads him to analyze Marx’s work of Capital as a novelistic representation instead of deriving a formula for interpretation theory from it. After close and overall examinations of Jameson’s scheme on narrative and history, author proposes further developments using Hegelian-Derridean theory on imagination (Einbildungskraft), negativity, temporality and future-ness to find a missing link between the form of private fantasies and the laws of capitalist mode-of-production, which is to lead us to a revitalizing contemporary reinterpretation of Capital’s key concept; the organic composition of capital, as a bridge from literary criticism to critical social theory.
DC.identifier	10.18910/71752
DC.format	71752
citation_title	The problem of “the real” and “history” for Fredric Jameson : Toward a shift from literary criticism to social theory
citation_author	Nojiri, Eiichi
citation_publisher	Graduate School of Human Sciences, Osaka University
citation_language	English
citation_date	2019-03
citation_journal_title	Osaka Human Sciences
citation_volume	5
citation_firstpage	157
citation_lastpage	183
citation_public_url	https://hdl.handle.net/11094/71752
citation_doi_detail	10.18910/71752
citation_doi	https://doi.org/10.18910/71752

The problem of “the real” and “history” for Fredric Jameson : Toward a shift from literary criticism to social theory

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