Eagleton's' The Criticized Revolutionary 'continues his forty year systematic review of literary theory, exploring the challenges and potential avenues of literary criticism in the modern English language discipline. The book takes critics from the early 20th century, such as Ruiqici, Levi's, and Yanbosun, as case studies to rediscover their intellectual resources, attempting to activate traditions from a century ago and establish connections between literature, criticism, and the real world. Eagleton believes that literary criticism faces the danger of being overlooked and needs to be mutually activated with the current disciplinary dilemma to provide possible solutions for literary criticism in crisis.

Internal and External, Vertical and Horizontal

This article delves into the description of the Cambridge literary criticism tradition in 20th century literature in Eagleton's "The Critique of the Revolutionary," with a particular focus on the life stories and main viewpoints of five critics - Richards, Yanbosson, Leavis, Williams, and Eagleton himself. The chapter points out that although these critics have cross generational influence, they all carry some kind of "externality", that is, they are not completely professional literary critics, but have a wide range of knowledge and interests. Richard's practical criticism principles and methods, as well as his later shift towards promoting basic English and disseminating scientific ideas, were seen by Eagleton as a revolutionary force. The purpose of practical criticism is to update people's situations, rather than just disciplinary research, which is fundamentally different from the later New Criticism. Eagleton emphasized that these critics have challenged the academic fortress through their "wildness" and brought new perspectives to the English department. In addition, the chapter also discusses the moral dimension of criticism, arguing that criticism is not just about making judgments about right and wrong, but an effort to reflect on the limitations of knowledge and judgment itself, and a moral activity with political and philosophical implications.

Aesthetics and Morality

In depth exploration of Eagleton's analysis of the relationship between aesthetics and morality in "The Criticized Revolutionary", it is pointed out that Eagleton believes that the aesthetic process is a process of ideological discrimination, but at the same time, it is pointed out that Williams and others overlook the limitations of the aesthetic dimension. Eagleton called for attention to the aesthetic features of literary works, opposed the trivialization of literary criticism, and emphasized that literary criticism should have social agency. The chapter also introduces the main viewpoints of North's "Literary Criticism" and criticizes the academic trend of literary criticism, believing that this has led to the loss of ambition for literary criticism to intervene in reality. Both Norris and Eagleton emphasized the importance of Richard's theory of context, believing that literary criticism should focus on the continuity between literature and daily life, as well as social life. Ruichaci's theory of meaning and context provides an enlightening path for literary criticism, endowing language with almost material power. The ultimate goal of literary reading and criticism training is to believe in the impact of the aesthetic process brought by literature itself on people, and to achieve the perfection of life and the reconstruction of moral personality.

Dedication and Seeking Truth

In depth exploration of Eagleton's re evaluation of Levi's in his book 'The Criticized Revolutionary', as well as his and North's different views on Levi's. Eagleton believed that although Levi excessively emphasized the aesthetic value of his works in literary criticism, he did not overlook the social function of literature, and his concept of "life" reflected his theory of aesthetic publicness. Levi's believed that the value of literary works depends on their response and exploration of values in daily life, which is similar to the social concerns of Richards and Williams. Eagleton also pointed out that Levi's concept of "life" plays an important role in literary criticism, including the emphasis on life experiences, the educative function of literature, and the distinction between literary language and philosophical language.