Thread by @dermotfeenan

At a time when the #humanities face increasing threats from the political right, this book by Prof. Nicole Wright (@WriteNWright) is a reminder, amongst other things, of the value of the humanities & associated transdisciplinary work. [1/7] jhupbooks.press.jhu.edu/title/defendin…

The book is a helpful corrective to the tendency to read eighteenth-century & Romantic-era novels as seeking to induce empathy towards only the lowly and marginalised. Wright shows that novels of the period are also used to cultivate empathy to support the privileged. [2/7]

What I found especially interesting in the book (though I am not here attempting a comprehensive review) was the examination of the relationship between the novel, law, social class interests, and political ideology – illustrated in the excerpt from the book, below. [3/7]

The book has helped my research on the law in colonial Britain on slavery by encouraging more critical reading of judgments on slavery in the late-18th & early-19th centuries (building on other critical readings, e.g., Gearey et al, The Politics of the Common Law, ch. 4). [4/7]

Wright’s exploration of the relationship between the novel and law also resonates with a number of themes by authors in my edited special issue on socio-legal studies and the humanities, including on the value of transdisciplinarity. [5/7]
bit.ly/2OqwseG

The book provides lessons for understanding current push back against so-called ‘cancel culture’ (though such conflicts are evident elsewhere, e.g. the backlash against feminism). Wright explores contemporary salience of the book in this interview. [6/7]
bit.ly/2CEQTSm

The value of scholarship such as Wright’s cannot be judged by whether (as some might insist) this helps students' job prospects. Rather, in reflecting critical inquiry, original insight, & significant contribution to knowledge – this, alone, is notable & worth supporting. [7/7]