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William Blake on Self and Soul

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William Blake on Self and Soul by Laura Quinney explores the complex psyche of William Blake, revealing his radical insights into subjectivity and the experience of the self. Quinney illustrates how Blake views the "I" as insecure, leading to the creation of a false and expansive "Selfhood" that results in profound loneliness. Delving into Blake's critique of empiricism and Enlightenment thought, the book highlights his original ideas on how these philosophies exacerbate the self’s confusion, and it traces Blake’s vision for overcoming this bewilderment through a transformative reimagining of subjectivity.
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Format: Hardback
$11899
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This work suits readers interested in the intersection of literature, psychology, and philosophy, particularly those drawn to William Blake’s visionary poetry and radical thought. It appeals to scholars, students, and general readers keen on exploring the depths of selfhood and subjectivity through Blake’s imaginative lens.

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It has been clear from the beginning that William Blake was both a political radical and a radical psychologist. In William Blake on Self and Soul, Laura Quinney uses her sensitive, surprising readings of the poet to reveal his innovative ideas about the experience of subjectivity.

Quinney powerfully rereads both Blake's early work and his later visionary poems as an unfolding record of the embattled psyche. This extremely important contribution to our understanding of Blake should appeal not just to Blakeans but to all who think about the psychology of transcendence. -- Paul Fry, Yale University Much of William Blake's most extraordinary work depends on his concept of 'Selfhood.' Laura Quinney has gone beyond all previous attempts to deal with Blake's treatment of what it means to be a solitary consciousness. Quinney illuminates Blake's very original relationship to the Gnostic heresy and his astonishing vision of what might redeem our humanity without falling into received doctrines. -- Harold Bloom

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

It has been clear from the beginning that William Blake was both a political radical and a radical psychologist. In William Blake on Self and Soul, Laura Quinney uses her sensitive, surprising readings of the poet to reveal his innovative ideas about the experience of subjectivity. Blake's central topic, Quinney shows us, is a contemporary one: the discomfiture of being a self or subject.

The greater the insecurity of the "I" Blake believed, the more it tries to swell into a false but mighty "Selfhood." And the larger the Selfhood bulks, the lonelier it grows. But why is that so? How is the illusion of "Selfhood" created? What damage does it do? How can one break its hold? These questions lead Blake to some of his most original thinking.

Quinney contends that Blake's hostility toward empiricism and Enlightenment philosophy is based on a penetrating psychological critique: Blake demonstrates that the demystifying science of empiricism deepens the self's incoherence to itself. Though Blake formulates a therapy for the bewilderment of the self, as he goes on he perceives greater and greater obstacles to the remaking of subjectivity.

By showing us this progression, Quinney shows us a Blake for our time.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Paul Fry of Yale University praises Quinney's powerful reinterpretation of Blake as a study of the "embattled psyche," noting its wider relevance to the psychology of transcendence. Renowned critic Harold Bloom commends the book for surpassing previous analyses of Blake’s concept of 'Selfhood' and highlighting Blake's unique engagement with Gnostic themes and redemption. The Times Literary Supplement appreciates Quinney's insightful readings of Blake’s works, especially her contextualisation within his contemporary debates.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780674035249

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 01 January 2010

Country: United States

Imprint: Harvard University Press

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 156.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 216

About the Author

Laura Quinney is Professor of English, Brandeis University.

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