The Higher Criticism
"The Higher Criticism." by George Bernard Shaw is a play that satirizes the academic world and its obsession with scholarship and criticism. The story follows a group of professors who are tasked with evaluating a new work of literature, but their efforts are constantly thwarted by their own egos and personal biases. Throughout the play, Shaw uses humor and irony to critique the flaws in academic culture and highlight the importance of creativity and originality over rigid adherence to established norms.
By George Bernard Shaw · First published 1893 · Genre: Philosophical Criticism, Religious Commentary, Historical Analysis · 631 words
First lines
Historical research and paleographic criticism will no doubt continue their demonstrations that the New Testament, like the Old, seldom tells a single story or expounds a single doctrine, and gives us often an accretion and conglomeration of widely discrete and even unrelated traditions and doctrines. But these disintegrations, though technically interesting to scholars, and gratifying or exasperating, as the case may be, to people who are merely defending or attacking the paper fortifications of the infallibility of the Bible, have hardly anything to do with the purpose of these pages. I have mentioned the fact that most of the authorities are now agreed (for the moment) that the date of the birth of Jesus may be placed at about 7 B. C.; but they do not therefore date their letters 1923, nor, I presume, do they expect me to do so.
What this Textopian page supports
The Higher Criticism is listed on Textopian as an essay by George Bernard Shaw, dated 1893 CE.
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- Work type: Essay
- Author: George Bernard Shaw
- Date: 1893 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Philosophical Criticism, Religious Commentary, Historical Analysis, Satire, Essay
- Length: 631 words
- Structure: 1 section, 5 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Difficult (College Level)
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Similar titles
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- The Gospels Without Prejudice by George Bernard Shaw
- The Teaching Of Christianity by George Bernard Shaw
- The Honor Of Divine Parentage by George Bernard Shaw
- The Protestant Hero by G. K. Chesterton
- A Holy War by C. J. Dennis
Genres
- Philosophical Criticism — The text engages in a critical examination of established beliefs, particularly religious doctrines, in a manner akin to Kantian critique.
- Religious Commentary — The work discusses the synthesis and interpretation of biblical texts, focusing on their impact on belief systems.
- Historical Analysis — The text references historical research and paleographic criticism to contextualize religious narratives.
- Satire — The writing style includes satirical elements, particularly in its critique of religious and scholarly dogma.
Tags
literary criticism · theology · philosophy · drama · satire · religion · interpretation · textual analysis · modernism · social commentary · cultural critique · historical context