Origins & Early Life

Terence Francis Eagleton (born 22 February 1943) is an English literary theorist, critic, and public intellectual. He is currently Distinguished Professor (Emeritus) of English Literature at Lancaster University. Eagleton has published over forty books, but remains best known for Literary Theory: An Introduction (1983), which has sold over 750,000 copies. The work elucidated the emerging literary theory of the modern period, as well as arguing that all literary theory is necessarily political.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He has also been a prominent critic of postmodernism, publishing works such as The Illusions of Postmodernism (1996) and After Theory (2003). He argues that, influenced by postmodernism, cultural theory has wrongly devalued objectivity and ethics. His thinking is influenced by Marxism and Christianity. Formerly the Thomas Warton Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford (1992–2001) and John Edward Taylor Professor of Cultural Theory at the University of Manchester (2001–2008), Eagleton has held visiting appointments at universities around the world including Cornell, Duke, Iowa, Melbourne, Trinity College Dublin, and Yale. Eagleton delivered Yale University's 2008 Terry Lectures...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Alvy Ray Smith — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering computer scientist and co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios.
• Antonio Inoki — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering Japanese wrestler, martial artist, and political figure.
• Arthur Ashe — Contemporary (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering American tennis star, celebrated for his skill and activism.
• Adam Ferguson — Shared historical date (02-22 · Died) (1816): Scottish philosopher, historian, and 'father of modern sociology'.
• Adolphe Quetelet — Shared historical date (02-22 · Born) (1796): Pioneering Belgian statistician, founder of anthropometry, and social scientist.
• Arthur B. McDonald — Historical peer (Born in 1943) (1943): Pioneering Canadian astrophysicist, recognized for neutrino research and the 2015 Nobel Prize.
• Barry Manilow — Historical peer (Born in 1943) (1943): Enduring American singer, songwriter, and producer with a six-decade career.
• Alfred Tarski — Historical peer (Died in 1983) (1983): Pioneering logician known for model theory and the formal concept of truth.
• Amy Winehouse — Historical peer (Born in 1983) (1983): Iconic British soul artist blending jazz, R&B, and retro sounds.
• 6ix9ine — Historical peer (Born in 1996) (1996): American rapper known for aggressive style and controversial public persona.
• 1943 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1943
• February 22 (02-22) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on February 22