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One of the most important aspects of Edward Said’s literary and cultural theory is undoubtedly that he always attempted to return criticism to the world. In spite of numerous attacks on worldly theorizing by proponents of formalist criticism, it seems that the notion of a worldly and oppositional criticism still is crucial for leftist literary and cultural theory. However, this is not enough. This article wants to direct attention to the significance of what could be termed an antifoundationalist and anti-essentialist worldly and oppositional leftist criticism. It is argued that while Said has prepared the ground for the development of a sophisticated worldly criticism, the black philosopher and cultural critic Cornel West illustrates even more clearly the complexity and suggestiveness of the phrase antifoundationalist worldly criticism. The pragmatist West has understood the lessons of antifoundationalism and antirealism, yet at the same time he makes clear that a radicalization of neopragmatist antifoundationalism is less productive than dialectically using it as a kind of corrective of still prevailing vulgarizations of oppositional theory. While it is argued that both versions of worldly and oppositional criticism, Said’s as well as West’s, are valuable and useful with regard to contemporary counterhegemonic theory, this article also under-scores that a sophisticated worldly criticism ought to prove that it is capable of entering into a dialogue with other theoretical approaches.

Humanistic Criticism, Prophetic Pragmatism, and the Question of Antifoundationalism – Remarks on Edward Said and Cornel West