William Empson: Prophet Against Sacrifice

William Empson was an ethical critic from the outset. He pioneered the techniques of "verbal criticism" chiefly to promote tolerance of cultural and historical differences, and to discourage the sacrifice of self or others to any form of irrationalism. In his later work, Empson's growing obsession with the horror of the Crucifixion, both as event and as symbol, together with his interest in the mediatory forms of pantheism and vitalism, are all enlisted in support of the campaign against human sacrifice in all its guises, which was already being waged inSeven Types of Ambiguity. William Empsonprovides the most coherent account to date of this versatile critic's career, and also serves to discredit the appropriation of his name in recent polemic by the conflicting parties of deconstruction and politicized cultural criticism. Readers concerned with criticism's history and potential scope will find this study of interest.