MATTER OF THE FACTS

An investigation of the elements that affect both interpretations and theories of reading. Tamen (literary theory, U. of Lisbon) is primarily interested in "problematics" that emerge from considering interpretation and invention together, as exemplified in close readings of three texts: Wilde's , Nietzsche's , and Kant's . In each, "in very different ways, a recognizable claim is made according to which `the facts'...are produced by their own descriptions and interpretations." Tamen sees Wilde's and Nietzsche's works as invention gone wrong; Kant's he views as a theory of the roots of invention, discussing it in relation to the production of both facts and knowledge.