Category: Philosophy
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Recovering the Later Georg Lukács: A Study on the Unity of His Thought
Recovering the Later Georg Lukács by Matthew J. Smetona is an expansive and rigorous exploration of the later writings of Georg Lukács, a figure whose philosophical and literary contributions have long been a subject of both reverence and contention within the canon of Western Marxism. Smetona’s work is nothing less than a scholarly excavation of…
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‘Georg Lukács’ by G.H.R. Parkinson
The philosophical biography of Georg Lukács by G.H.R. Parkinson, first published in 1977, offers a detailed exposition of the intellectual evolution and cultural contexts of one of the most significant Marxist philosophers of the 20th century. The book serves as both an intellectual biography and a comprehensive guide to Lukács’s extensive body of work, tracing…
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Goethe and His Age: A Major Critical Revaluation of Germany’s Great Poet
Georg Lukács’ Goethe and His Age stands as a towering achievement in the realm of literary criticism, offering an original Marxist reinterpretation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and his impact on the cultural and intellectual landscape of his time. Lukács, known for his dialectical approach to literature and society, crafts a text that is as…
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A Defence of History and Class Consciousness: Tailism and the Dialectic
A Defence of History and Class Consciousness: Tailism and the Dialectic by Georg Lukács is an extraordinary text that serves as a profound continuation and defense of his seminal work, History and Class Consciousness (1923). This lost manuscript, rediscovered after decades of obscurity, offers readers a rare and invaluable insight into Lukács’ intellectual tenacity and…
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History and Class Consciousness: Studies in Marxist Dialectics
History and Class Consciousness by Georg Lukács represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of Marxist thought, capturing the profound dialectical tensions of the early 20th century within the framework of revolutionary praxis. Published in Germany in 1923, this collection of essays serves as a landmark in the development of Marxist theory. The book is…
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Badiou, Infinity, and Subjectivity: Reading Hegel and Lacan after Badiou
In Badiou, Infinity, and Subjectivity, Mohammad Reza Naderi analyses Alain Badiou’s philosophical development and traces the trajectory of Badiou’s thought by foregrounding the centrality of axiomatic thought and the concept of mathematical infinity as the bedrock of Badiou’s philosophical architecture. The book’s central thesis posits that axiomatic thought, particularly in its engagement with infinity, is…
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Dilemmas of Truth in Alain Badiou’s Philosophy
Dilemmas of Truth in Alain Badiou’s Philosophy by Giosuè Ghisalberti presents a rigorous exploration of the complexities in the philosophical system of Alain Badiou, a thinker who has reoriented the trajectory of contemporary philosophy. Ghisalberti undertakes the ambitious task of examining how Badiou’s replacement of traditional critical theory and its hallmark of negation with an…
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Alain Badiou and the Book of Revelation
Alain Badiou and the Book of Revelation: The Emergence of a Truth by Bruce Worthington represents a striking intersection of philosophy and biblical studies, serving as an intellectual crucible in which the radical concepts of Alain Badiou are applied to the enigmatic text of the Book of Revelation. This work explores the notion of the…
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Religion, Rationality And Community: Sacred And Secular In The Thought Of Hegel And His Critics
Religion, Rationality and Community: Sacred and Secular in the Thought of Hegel and His Critics by Robert Gascoigne presents an exploration of the relationship between religious belief, human rationality, and communal life as conceived in the philosophy of Hegel and scrutinized by his critics. This study analyses the philosophical attempts of Hegel to reconcile the…
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‘The Time That Remains: A Commentary on the Letter to the Romans’ by Giorgio Agamben
Giorgio Agamben’s The Time That Remains: A Commentary on the Letter to the Romans is a dense and provocative work that boldly seeks to unravel the Pauline Epistles from the historical and theological entanglements of the Church, restoring them to what Agamben identifies as their original messianic context. Not merely an exegesis, the work is…
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Essays on Schopenhauer and Nietzsche: Values and the Will of Life
Essays on Schopenhauer and Nietzsche by Christopher Janaway is a rigorous exploration into the philosophical underpinnings and existential inquiries posed by two of the most influential thinkers of the 19th century. This work is a collection of fourteen essays that go into the relationship between Schopenhauer’s pessimistic worldview and Nietzsche’s radical critique of that very…
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Schopenhauer and the Nature of Philosophy
Schopenhauer and the Nature of Philosophy by Jonathan Head offers a detailed examination of Arthur Schopenhauer’s metaphilosophy, a dimension of his thought that has, until now, been largely overshadowed by his more well-known ideas on metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics. This book ventures into the unexplored terrain of Schopenhauer’s conception of philosophy itself, revealing a rich…
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In Search of Wagner
Inside In Search of Wagner, Theodor Adorno undertakes an incisive exploration of Richard Wagner’s musical and ideological landscape, achieving a synthesis of musical critique and socio-political analysis that remains unparalleled in the field of Wagner studies. Written during Adorno’s exile in the late 1930s, this work dissects Wagner’s operatic corpus through the lens of Frankfurt…
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The Phenomenology of Spirit (Translated by Terry Pinkard)
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s The Phenomenology of Spirit, first published in 1807, stands as a monumental achievement in the realm of modern philosophy, encapsulating a pivotal shift in understanding consciousness, self-awareness, and the evolution of human experience. In this seminal work, Hegel presents a profound exploration of the development of self-consciousness and its relation to…
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The Rigor of Angels: Borges, Heisenberg, Kant, and the Ultimate Nature of Reality
The Rigor of Angels by William Egginton is an ambitious and exhilarating intellectual journey that transcends the boundaries of literature, science, and philosophy, deftly interweaving the lives and thoughts of three towering figures—Jorge Luis Borges, Werner Heisenberg, and Immanuel Kant—to explore the elusive and multifaceted nature of reality. Egginton’s work is both a profound meditation…
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Jacques Lacan with Samuel Beckett
Susane Dow’s presentation explores the intriguing, albeit limited, intersection of Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytic theory and the literary works of Samuel Beckett. Unlike his extensive engagement with writers like Shakespeare and Joyce, Lacan mentions Beckett sparingly, positioning him as a “silent partner” to Joyce. Despite this silence, Beckett’s divergence from Joyce’s artistic path offers a rich…
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Freud and Philosophy: Freud against Oedipus?
Van Haute’s presentation provides a critical examination of the evolution of Freud’s psychoanalytic theory, with a focus on the Oedipus complex. He begins by exploring Freud’s early work, where psychopathology was understood as emerging from psychosexual dynamics between parents and children, without the explicit reference to the Oedipus complex. He highlights Freud’s 1897 self-analysis as…
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[a]Sexual Violence and Systemic Enjoyment
Zupančič’s presentation offers an analysis of the relationship between sex, power, and the dynamics of desire. Following Oscar Wilde she explores the notion that sex is fundamentally about power rather than mere desire. This critical perspective leads to a broader discussion on systemic enjoyment and its profound political implications. The concept of sexuality as a…
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The Prophet and the Sign
Laurenzo Vinciguerra examines Spinoza’s critique of false or superstitious religion, focusing extensively on the interpretation of the Bible. Spinoza’s inquiry beginns with the first six chapters of his “Theological-Political Treatise.” Here, Spinoza utilizes a combination of philosophical reasoning and biblical exegesis to argue that Scripture does not constrain philosophical inquiry. This distinction is crucial for…
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Concepts of Normativity: Kant or Hegel?
In the contemporary landscape of philosophical inquiry, the problem of normativity, as it manifests in moral and ethical theory, remains a central and contentious issue. Christian Krijnen’s Concepts of Normativity: Kant or Hegel? endeavours to illuminate this ongoing debate by juxtaposing the normative frameworks of two monumental figures in philosophy: Immanuel Kant and Georg Wilhelm…
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Kant’s Rational Religion and the Radical Enlightenment: From Spinoza to Contemporary Debates
Anna Tomaszewska’s Kant’s Rational Religion and the Radical Enlightenment offers a transformative examination of Immanuel Kant’s engagement with religion, situating his theological and philosophical perspectives within the broader context of Enlightenment thought. The book challenges the prevailing view of Kant as a moderate Enlightenment thinker who sought merely to reconcile faith with reason. Instead, Tomaszewska…
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Baumgarten’s Elements of First Practical Philosophy: A Critical Translation with Kant’s Reflections on Moral Philosophy
In the rich and intellectually significant work, Baumgarten’s Elements of First Practical Philosophy, edited and translated by Courtney D. Fugate and John Hymers, with Lawrence Pasternack and Pablo Muchnik as series editors, we encounter a critical English translation of Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten’s seminal work. This translation, significant for its comprehensive approach, integrates not only Baumgarten’s…
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Kant and the Transformation of Natural History
In Kant and the Transformation of Natural History, Andrew Cooper offers an analysis that places Kant’s contributions within a broader context of the Enlightenment’s intellectual upheavals. This scholarly work presents the first systematic examination of Kant’s conceptualization of natural history, arguing that Kant’s influence on the field was both profound and transformative, yet also deeply…
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The Coherence of Kant’s Doctrine of Freedom
The Coherence of Kant’s Doctrine of Freedom by Bernard Carnois, as translated by David Booth, is an examination of one of the most pervasive concepts in Immanuel Kant’s philosophy: the idea of freedom. The term ‘freedom’ permeates Kant’s philosophical corpus, appearing in contexts as varied as cosmology, morality, and theology. It is a concept that…
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I, Me, Mine: Back to Kant, and Back Again
Béatrice Longuenesse’s I, Me, Mine: Back to Kant, and Back Again stands as a significant contribution to contemporary philosophical discourse, presenting an ambitious approach to the age-old questions surrounding self-consciousness and the use of the first-person pronoun ‘I’. This work goes through the complex terrain of self-reference and personal identity, exploring these themes through a…
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Early German Philosophy: Kant and His Predecessors
In Lewis White Beck’s Early German Philosophy: Kant and His Predecessors, the evolution of German philosophy is traced from its embryonic stages through to the late 18th century, providing a thorough exploration of its development and the context that shaped it. Beck’s scholarship offers a panoramic view of German intellectual history, foregrounding the distinctive trajectory…
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Studies in the Philosophy of Kant
Lewis White Beck’s Studies in the Philosophy of Kant is a testament to the depth and scholarly acumen that Beck, a preeminent philosopher and Kant specialist, brought to his rigorous exploration of Immanuel Kant’s oeuvre. Published in 1965, this collection of Beck’s essays represents his scholarly engagement with Kantian thought, reflecting Beck’s dual role as…
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The Development from Kant to Hegel
Andrew Seth’s The Development from Kant to Hegel stands as a key contribution to the study of German philosophy, especially within the English-speaking academic world. This scholarly work, written during Seth’s tenure as a Hibbert Travelling Scholar in the summer of 1880, offers a rich exposition of the evolution of philosophical thought from Immanuel Kant…
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Ethics of the Real: Kant and Lacan
In Ethics of the Real, Alenka Zupančič presents a rigorous presentation of the relationship between Immanuel Kant’s moral philosophy and Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytic theory. This study examines how Kant’s Enlightenment ethics, with its emphasis on universal moral law, can be reinterpreted through Lacan’s psychoanalytic concept of the Real, resulting in a radical reassessment of both…
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The Bloomsbury Companion to Kant
Immanuel Kant’s stature in the history of philosophy is foundational, and his influence stretches across the intellectual traditions of the modern era, redefining the contours of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and aesthetics. His impact on the philosophical landscape is a testament to the depth and breadth of his critical thought, and it is this expansive influence…
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The Legacy of Kant in Sellars and Meillassoux
Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason remains a cornerstone in the history of philosophy, and its influence stretches far beyond the boundaries of its original publication in 1781. At the heart of Kant’s philosophy is a revolutionary attempt to resolve what he saw as the impasses of metaphysics through his critical method, which seeks to…
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‘Critique of Pure Reason’ by Immanuel Kant
Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason, first published in 1781 and subsequently revised in 1787, represents a seminal contribution to the landscape of Western philosophy. As one of the most challenging yet influential works ever produced, it serves as a profound investigation into the nature of human cognition, knowledge, and the limits of reason itself.…
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Kant and Artificial Intelligence
Kant and Artificial Intelligence, edited by Hyeongjoo Kim and Dieter Schönecker, presents the relationship between Immanuel Kant’s philosophical principles and the rapidly evolving domain of artificial intelligence (AI). This volume is a sophisticated overview of how Kantian thought can both elucidate and be challenged by contemporary AI advancements, offering a comprehensive philosophical analysis that addresses…
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‘Kant’ by Paul Guyer
Paul Guyer’s Kant (Second Edition) is an essential and authoritative guide to the philosophy of Immanuel Kant. With an acute focus on Kant’s central conception of autonomy, Guyer illuminates the profound depths of Kant’s thought, making a compelling case for the interconnectedness of Kant’s diverse philosophical inquiries. This expanded edition offers a thorough exploration of…
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‘Immanuel Kant’ by Lucien Goldmann
In the pantheon of philosophical giants, Immanuel Kant stands as a colossus whose ideas have profoundly shaped the landscape of Western thought. Lucien Goldmann’s seminal work, Immanuel Kant, extrapolates the breadth and depth of Kant’s intellectual legacy, offering a comprehensive introduction to his philosophical universe. This profound study, translated into English by Robert Black, stands…
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Žižek and Theology
Adam Kotsko’s Žižek and Theology offers an extensive and nuanced analysis of Slavoj Žižek’s engagement with Christian theology, providing an indispensable guide for readers seeking to navigate the complex intersections between Žižek’s dialectical materialism and theological thought. In this detailed examination, Kotsko goes into Žižek’s broader intellectual trajectory and its convergence with theological themes, contextualizing…
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The Reception of Paul the Apostle in the Works of Slavoj Žižek
The Reception of Paul the Apostle in the Works of Slavoj Žižek by Ole Jakob Løland offers an erudite overview of Slavoj Žižek’s unique engagement with the Apostle Paul, a figure traditionally associated with Christian theology. This pioneering work is the first comprehensive study dedicated to Žižek’s complex interpretations of Paul’s epistles, examining how Žižek…
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A Radical Philosophy of Saint Paul
Stanislas Breton’s A Radical Philosophy of Saint Paul stands as a great contribution to contemporary Continental philosophy, where it intersects with theological inquiry and political theory in ways that continue to reverberate through modern intellectual thought. Breton, a renowned French philosopher and theologian, challenges the reader to engage with the apostle Paul not merely as…
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Hegel and the Infinite: Religion, Politics, and Dialectic
Hegel and the Infinite, edited by Slavoj Žižek, is an ambitious exploration of the enduring relevance of Hegel’s thought in contemporary philosophy, politics, and religion. This volume brings together a diverse array of prominent thinkers, including Catherine Malabou, Antonio Negri, John D. Caputo, Bruno Bosteels, Mark C. Taylor, and Žižek himself, alongside others, to engage…
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Hegel’s Philosophy of Religion
Bernard M.G. Reardon’s Hegel’s Philosophy of Religion offers an analysis of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s complex and often enigmatic views on religion. Reardon positions Hegel as a central figure in modern philosophy, whose ideas have been the subject of intense scrutiny, admiration, and controversy. Despite the difficulties inherent in interpreting Hegel’s thought, particularly his dense…
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‘Images of the Present Time’ by Alain Badiou
In Images of the Present Time, Alain Badiou presents an illuminating and multifaceted philosophical inquiry into the nature of contemporaneity and the challenge of living authentically within one’s own era. Spanning nearly three years of seminars from 2001 to 2004, this volume captures Badiou’s engagement with the existential and philosophical dilemmas of our time, against…
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‘Infinite Thought: Truth and the Return of Philosophy’ by Alain Badiou
Alain Badiou’s Infinite Thought: Truth and the Return to Philosophy represents a monumental effort to redefine the concept of truth and reassert the importance of philosophy in contemporary intellectual discourse. Badiou addresses the profound crisis that philosophy faced in the 20th century, marked by the rise of poststructuralism and postmodernism, movements which questioned the very…
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‘The Century’ by Alain Badiou
In The Century, Alain Badiou goes on an ambitious intellectual journey, seeking to re-examine the twentieth century not from the perspective of external judgment, but from the vantage point of the century itself. This crucial work is not an attempt to absolve or condemn the century, nor does Badiou assume the burden of defending it.…
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‘The One: Descartes, Plato, Kant’ by Alain Badiou
Alain Badiou’s The One: Descartes, Plato, Kant, translated by Jacques Lezra and Susan Spitzer, with an insightful introduction by Kenneth Reinhard, is a seminal work that offers an exploration of the philosophical concept of oneness through the lens of three major figures: Descartes, Plato, and Kant. This text is part of Badiou’s extensive lecture series,…
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‘Deleuze: The Clamor of Being’ by Alain Badiou
Alain Badiou’s Deleuze: The Clamor of Being is a profound and audacious reexamination of Gilles Deleuze’s philosophical legacy, presenting a starkly different interpretation of Deleuze’s work. This critical volume, the first major work by Badiou available in English, not only offers a fresh perspective on Deleuze but also provocatively redefines what it means to be…
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The Seminar of Alain Badiou: Nietzsche’s Anti-Philosophy
The Seminar of Alain Badiou: Nietzsche’s Anti-Philosophy, translated and edited by Wanyoung E. Kim from notes by Aimé Thiault and a transcription by François Duvert, gathers the 1992–1993 Paris seminar in which Alain Badiou made Nietzsche the inaugural figure of a larger itinerary through what he calls antiphilosophy—a name for those discourses that, while philosophically…
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G.W.F. Hegel Werke in 20 Bänden: Gesamte Werkausgabe
The Hegel Werke, edited by Karl Markus Michel and Eva Moldenhauer, is an unprecedented scholarly achievement, offering a comprehensive and accessible edition of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel’s extensive body of work. This twenty-volume edition spans over 11,000 pages, providing an organized and affordable resource for engaging with Hegel’s philosophical contributions. This collection brings together nearly…
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Objective Fictions: Philosophy, Psychoanalysis, Marxism
Objective Fictions presents an innovative exploration into the interconnections between objectivity and fiction within contemporary philosophy. Edited by Adrian Johnston, Boštjan Nedoh, and Alenka Zupančič, this collection challenges entrenched dichotomies of realism versus nominalism by introducing the concept of ‘objective fictions’. These are not merely subjective constructs or illusions but are integral components that structure…
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Politics and Teleology in Kant
Politics and Teleology in Kant, edited by Paul Formosa, Avery Goldman, and Tatiana Patrone, is an examination of the relationship between teleology and politics in Immanuel Kant’s philosophy. This scholarly collection comprises fourteen essays from leading experts, each exploring the ways in which Kant’s political philosophy is influenced by his teleological understanding of nature and…
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Chesterton’s Orthodoxy
Gilbert Keith Chesterton, one of the most celebrated and esteemed figures in modern literature, offers an intellectual and spiritual tour de force in his seminal work, Orthodoxy. Chesterton, renowned for his prodigious output as a playwright, novelist, poet, literary commentator, essayist, and apologist, distils his vibrant and multifaceted philosophy into this compelling spiritual autobiography. Born…
Simon Gros 