The theme of this volume, 'knowledge in literature', refers not to the way in which literature communicates cultural phenomena, events, and norms regulating or reflecting everyday action and behaviour. Instead, it focuses on the 'new knowledge' about nature and the human animal produced (or rejected) in individual branches of science and learning since the 17th century and the changes it has effected in human and social self-interpretation. The consequence of this has been a spate of rival concepts of nature and representation and new forms of literary penetration and appropriation of knowledge that display repercussions both on literature itself and on science, philosophy and the humanities.