The Limits of Scholarly Editing

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Published: Jun 10, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14434/tc.v18i1.41348
Keywords:
Scholarly Editing
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A Note, an Invitation
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Peter L. Shillingsburg
Loyola University Chicago, Emeritus

Abstract

The goals of scholarly editing are limited by what can be accomplished in reality. What can be hoped for or aimed at may be the inspiration, but not the goal, of scholarly editing.  Well-argued disagreements among scholars demonstrates that variation in interests, methods, and values for documents, texts, works, history and art, both place perfection out of bounds and valuable triumphs within reach. Textual evidence requires editorial presentation, which requires intellectual added value. Just as there are many ways to get it wrong, there are many ways to get it right.

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Author Biography

Peter L. Shillingsburg, Loyola University Chicago, Emeritus

Peter L. Shillingsburg taught at Mississippi State University where he was a William L. Giles Professor, at the University of North Texas, at De Montfort University where he was Director of the Center for Textual Scholarship, at the Defense Force Academy campus of The University of New South Wales, and at Loyola University Chicago where he held the Svaglic Chair in Textual Studies.  He was a John Simon Guggenheim Fellow.  He was the general and textual editor of the Works of W. M. Thackeray (Garland and Michigan) and is author of two books on W. M. Thackeray and three books on textual studies. He served as Coordinator, Committee Member, and Chairman of the Modern Language Association's Committee on Scholarly Editions and as President of the Society for Textual Scholarship.

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