If you locate the PDF of Chapter One (or the opening sections of Literary Theory ), here is the intellectual treasure map of what you will find. Most PDFs available online correspond to the 1996 or 2008 editions.
Eagleton argues that the academic study of English didn't emerge because literature is inherently special. Instead, it was born out of a crisis in power, a decline in religion, and a need for social control. 1. Literature as the "New Religion" Terry eagleton the rise of english pdf