--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is, in fact, no need to drag…" description: "\"“There is, in fact, no need to drag politics into literary theory: as with South African sport, it has been there from the beginning. I mean by the pol..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/terry-eagleton-1660_history_there-is-in-fact-no-need-to-drag-politic_2696218.jpg" --- # There is, in fact, no need to drag politics into literary… ![“There is, in fact, no need to drag politics into literary theory: as with South African sport, it has been there from the beginning. I mean by the political no more than the way we organize our social life together, and the power-relations which this involves; and what I have tried to show…” quote by Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/terry-eagleton-1660_history_there-is-in-fact-no-need-to-drag-politic_2696218.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/terry-eagleton-1660_history_there-is-in-fact-no-need-to-drag-politic_2696218.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/486/terry-eagleton-1660_history_there-is-in-fact-no-need-to-drag-politic_2696218.jpg) > ““There is, in fact, no need to drag politics into literary theory: as with South African sport, it has been there from the beginning. I mean by the political no more than the way we organize our social life together, and the power-relations which this involves; and what I have tried to show throughout this book is that the history of modern literary theory is part of the political and ideological history of our epoch. From Percy Bysshe Shelley to Norman N. Holland, literary theory has been indissociably bound up with political beliefs and ideological values. Indeed literary theory is less an object of intellectual enquiry in its own right than a particular perspective in which to view the history of our times. Nor should this be in the least cause for surprise. For any body of theory concerned with human meaning, value, language, feeling and experience will inevitably engage with broader, deeper beliefs about the nature of human individuals and societies, problems of power and sexuality, interpretations of past history, versions of the present and hopes for the future. It is not a matter of regretting that this is so — of blaming literary theory for being caught up with such questions, as opposed to some 'pure' literary theory which might be absolved from them. Such 'pure' literary theory is an academic myth: some of the theories we have examined in this book are nowhere more clearly ideological than in their attempts to ignore history and politics altogether. Literary theories are not to be upbraided for being political, but for being on the whole covertly or unconsciously so — for the blindness with which they offer as a supposedly 'technical', 'self-evident', 'scientific' or 'universal' truth doctrines which with a little reflection can be seen to relate to and reinforce the particular interests of particular groups of people at particular times.”” [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author argues that literary theory is inseparable from politics and ideology, reflecting social power structures and beliefs about humanity. **In simple terms:** Literary theory is always political and ideological. Key Takeaway Recognize and critique hidden political assumptions in theory. Themes politics ideology literary criticism power history Mood thoughtful critical analytical Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - academic research - teaching literature - public discourse - policy analysis - cultural studies Key Concepts social theory critical theory ideological critique Questions to Reflect On - How do your own beliefs shape your interpretation of texts? - Can you identify political assumptions in a theory you use? A Different Perspective Ignoring politics can mask bias and limit understanding. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Ideology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideology/) [Life together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-together/) [Literary Theories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-theories-2697065/) [Literary theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-theory/) [Modern Literary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-literary-2633989/) [Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political/) [Political beliefs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/political-beliefs/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Politics Literary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics-literary-2697066/) [Power-relations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/power-relations-147898/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-life/) [South African](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/south-african/) [Theory Political](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory-political-1465406/) ## Related quotes > [Literary theories will not make a writer write.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-wier/literary-theories-will-not-make-a-writer-write/) [Allen Wier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-wier/) > [Politics in a literary work, is like a gun shot in the middle of a concert, something vulgar, and however, something which is impossible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stendhal/politics-in-a-literary-work-is-like-a-gun-shot-in-the-middle-of-a/) [Stendhal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stendhal/) > [“Taxi Driver" There is something strangely liberating about being just a taxi driver… The secret lies in the “just”! 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I mean by the political no more than the way we organize our social life together, and the power-relations which this involves; and what I have tried to show throughout this book is that the history of modern literary theory is part of the political and ideological history of our epoch. From Percy Bysshe Shelley to Norman N. Holland, literary theory has been indissociably bound up with political beliefs and ideological values. Indeed literary theory is less an object of intellectual enquiry in its own right than a particular perspective in which to view the history of our times. Nor should this be in the least cause for surprise. For any body of theory concerned with human meaning, value, language, feeling and experience will inevitably engage with broader, deeper beliefs about the nature of human individuals and societies, problems of power and sexuality, interpretations of past history, versions of the present and hopes for the future. It is not a matter of regretting that this is so — of blaming literary theory for being caught up with such questions, as opposed to some 'pure' literary theory which might be absolved from them. Such 'pure' literary theory is an academic myth: some of the theories we have examined in this book are nowhere more clearly ideological than in their attempts to ignore history and politics altogether. 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