'Interpreting Others' assesses the way in which J. M. Coetzee's novels address the philosophical contest between humanism and antihumanism. The thesis highlights the opposing understandings of the...Show more'Interpreting Others' assesses the way in which J. M. Coetzee's novels address the philosophical contest between humanism and antihumanism. The thesis highlights the opposing understandings of the human subject exercised by the two perspectives. Specifically, it foregrounds the issue of the possibility of understanding other minds as a battleground in the humanism conflict and places this question in a literary and ethical context. A chapter each is dedicated to analyzing the ways this conflict is manifested in The Life & Times of Michael K, Disgrace, and Elizabeth Costello. The author uses the theories of Deborah Knight, who attempted to bridge the apparently intractable conflict between exponents of the humanist and antihumanist subjects, to explain Coetzee's position, which is argued to straddle both camps, demonstrating a thoughtful criticism of humanism which nevertheless remains attached to the humanist subject and the possibility of understanding between individuals.Show less
