Description
Book SynopsisNichols examines the major writings of Alexandre Koj_ve, and clarifies the character and brings to light the importance of his political philosophy. While emphasizing the political dimension of Koj_ve''s thought, Nichols treats all his major published writings and shows how the remarkably varied parts of Koj_ve''s intellectual endeavor go together. This is an essential assessment of Koj_ve which considers the works that preceded his turn to Hegel, seeks to articulate the character of his Hegelianism, and reflects in detail on the two different meanings that the end of history had in two different periods of his thought.
Trade ReviewThis crisp and concise but synoptic account of the political philosophy of Alexandre Kojève brings to vivid life the excitement and originality of this great Hegelian's thinking. Nichols explains to the Anglo-American world the compelling theoretical reasons for Kojève's immense influence on French philosophy, politics, and political theorizing. The book will be essential reading for anyone who wants to grasp the deep foundations and sources of continental political theory-and practice-in the twentieth century. -- Thomas L. Pangle, University of Texas at Austin
James Nichols has written a concise and extraordinarily informative book that uncovers the coherence of thought that underlies the seemingly contradictory ideas of one of the twentieth century's greatest philosophers. While Alexandre Kojève may not exactly be a household word, he was enormously influential in shaping the intellectual world of the late 20th century, and this book helps us to better understand why. -- Francis Fukuyama, author of The End of History and the Last Man
Nichols’s book should become the standard introductory text on Alexandre Kojève. By providing a clear and thoughtful account of the major aspects of Kojève’s oeuvre, Nichols shows that this interpreter of Hegel developed a powerful version of modern political philosophy from which we can still learn today. -- Michael S. Roth, author of Knowing and History: Appropriations of Hegel in 20th-century France
It is James H. Nichols, Jr., who can be thanked for giving us the first (abridged) English translation of Kojeve's Introduction to the Reading of Hegel, a book that established Kojeve's well-deserved reputation in France as one of the most original and influential thinkers of the twentieth century…. Nichols' is precisely the sort of book that one should keep by one's side…. Nichols has provided us with a concise but comprehensive introduction to one of the most intriguing philosophers of the twentieth century. * Society *
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Religion, Atheism, and Physics Chapter 2 The Seminar on Hegel: History, Dialectic, and Finitude Chapter 3 Politics and Law Towards the End of History Chapter 4 The End of History: In the Future or in 1806, Communist or Capitalist? Chapter 5 Updating Hegel's System Chapter 6 Conclusions Chapter 7 Epilogue: Philosophy, Politics–and Espionnage
