Fredric Jameson
Full Name and Common Aliases
Fredric Jameson is a renowned American literary critic, philosopher, and Marxist theorist.
Birth and Death Dates
He was born on April 14, 1934, in Cleveland, Ohio. As of my last update, Fredric Jameson is still alive.
Nationality and Profession(s)
Jameson holds American nationality and is primarily known for his work as a literary critic, philosopher, and Marxist theorist.
Early Life and Background
Fredric Jameson was born into a middle-class family in Cleveland, Ohio. His early life and background have had a significant influence on his intellectual pursuits. Growing up during the Great Depression and experiencing World War II had a profound impact on Jameson's worldview. He developed an interest in philosophy and literature at a young age, which would eventually shape his academic career.
Jameson earned his Bachelor's degree from Haverford College and later completed his Master's and Ph.D. in comparative literature from Yale University. His intellectual formation was deeply influenced by the works of Marx, Gramsci, and Lukacs, among others. These thinkers' ideas about ideology, culture, and class struggle have been central to Jameson's work.
Major Accomplishments
Fredric Jameson has made significant contributions to literary theory, cultural studies, and Marxist thought. His most notable achievements include:
Critique of Postmodernism: Jameson is perhaps best known for his critical essays on postmodernism, particularly "Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism" (1991). In this work, he argues that postmodern culture reflects and reinforces the dominant ideologies of late capitalism.
Marxist Theory: Jameson has been a key figure in promoting Marxist theory within literary studies. He has written extensively on topics such as ideology, class struggle, and cultural production from a Marxist perspective.
Cultural Studies: As one of the founders of the field of cultural studies, Jameson's work has had a lasting impact on our understanding of culture and its relationship to power.Notable Works or Actions
Some of Fredric Jameson's notable works include:
"The Prison-House of Language" (1972)
"Fables of Aggression: Wyndham Lewis, the Modernist as Fascist" (2004)
"A Singular Modernity: Essay on the Ontology of the Present" (2002)
Jameson has also been a vocal critic of postmodernism and its implications for cultural production.
Impact and Legacy
Fredric Jameson's work has had a significant impact on literary theory, cultural studies, and Marxist thought. His critiques of postmodernism have influenced generations of scholars and thinkers. Jameson's emphasis on the importance of class struggle and ideology in understanding cultural production has helped to shape the field of cultural studies.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
Fredric Jameson is widely quoted and remembered for his insightful critiques of postmodernism, his contributions to Marxist theory, and his influential work in cultural studies. His ability to synthesize complex theoretical ideas with practical applications has made him a respected figure within academic circles.
Quotes by Fredric Jameson
For when we talk about the spreading power and influence of globalization, aren't we really referring to the spreading economic and military might of the US?
The epistemological separation of colony from metropolis, the systemic occultation of the colonial labour on which imperial prosperity is based, results in a situation in which... the truth of metropolitan existence is not visible in the metropolis itself.
And this fear that US models are replacing everything else now spills over from the sphere of culture into our two remaining categories: for this process is clearly, at one level, the result of economic domination – of local cultural industries closed down by American rivals.
The United States has made a massive effort since the end of the Second World War to secure the dominance of its films in foreign markets – an achievement generally pushed home politically, by writing clauses into various treaties and aid packages.
But what would happen if one no longer believed in the existence of normal language, of ordinary speech, of the linguistic norm?
We’re all idealists, all materialists; and the final judgment or label is simply a matter of ideology, or, if you prefer, of political commitment.
In most of the European countries – France stands out in its resistance to this particular form of American cultural imperialism – the national film industries were forced onto the defensive after the war by such binding agreements.
Often, these downplay the power of cultural imperialism – in that sense, playing the game of US interests – by reassuring us that the global success of American mass culture is not as bad as all that.
It is now easier to imagine the end of the world than to imagine the end of capitalism.