The Cornel West Reader (Basic Civitas Book)

Cornel West is one of the nation's premier public intellectuals and one of the great prophetic voices of our era. Whether he is writing a scholarly book or an article for Newsweek, whether he is speaking of Emerson, Gramsci, or Marvin Gaye, his work radiates a passion that reflects the rich traditions he draws on and weaves together: Baptist preaching, American transcendentalism, jazz, radical politics. This anthology reveals the dazzling range of West's work, from his explorations of ”Prophetic Pragmatism” to his philosophizing on hip-hop. The Cornel West Reader traces the development of West's extraordinary career as academic, public intellectual, and activist. In his essays, articles, books, and interviews, West emerges as America's social conscience, urging attention to complicated issues of racial and economic justice, sexuality and gender, history and politics. This collection represents the best work of an always compelling, often controversial, and absolutely essential philosopher of the modern American experience. The Best Work Of An Always Compelling, Often Controversial And Absolutley Essential Philosopher Of The American Experience, Modernity, And The Human Condition. Introduction : To Be Human, Modern And American -- I. Autobiographical Prelude. The Making Of An American Radical Democrat Of African Descent -- On My Intellectual Vocation -- Sing A Song -- Ii. Modernity And Its Discontents. The Ignoble Paradox Of Modernity -- Race And Modernity -- Black Strivings In A Twilight Civilization -- The New Cultural Politics Of Difference -- Iii. American Pragmatism. Why Pragmatism? -- On Prophetic Pragmatism -- Pragmatism And The Sense Of The Tragic -- The Limits Of Neopragmatism -- Nietzsche's Prefiguration Of Postmodern American Philosophy - - Iv. Progressive Marxist Theory. The Indispensability Yet Insufficiency Of Marxist Theory -- Fredric Jameson's American Marxism -- Race And Social Theory -- V. Radical Democratic Politics. The Role Of Law In Progressive Politics -- The Political Intellectual -- A World Of Ideas -- The Dilemma Of The Black Intellectual -- American Progressivism Reoriented -- Parents And National Survival -- On The 1980s -- Michael Harrington, Democratic Socialist -- Vi. Prophetic Christian Thought. The Crisis In Contemporary American Religion -- The Historicist Turn In Philosophy Of Religion -- Religion And The Left -- On Elizabeth Schüssler Fiorenza's In Memory Of Her -- On Leszek Kolakowski -- On Liberation Theology : Segundo And Hinkelammert -- Christian Love And Heterosexism -- A Philosophical View Of Easter -- On Gibson Winter's Ecological Ecumenism -- Prophetic Christian As Organic Intellectual : Martin Luther King, Jr. -- Subversive Joy And Revolutionary Patience In Black Christianity -- Vii. The Arts. Critical Reflections On Art -- Horace Pippin's Challenge To Art Criticism -- Race And Architecture -- The Spirituals As Lyrical Poetry -- In Memory Of Marvin Gaye -- On Afro-american Music : From Bebop To Rap -- On Anna Deavere Smith's Fires In The Mirror -- On Walt Whitman -- Viii. Race And Difference. On Affirmative Action -- On Black-brown Relations -- On Black Sexuality -- On Black Nationalism -- Tensions With Jewish Friends And Foes -- On Jackie Robinson -- On Julianne Malveaux -- Conversation With Bell Hooks -- Ix. Postscript. Chekhov, Coltrane And Democracy. Cornel West. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [565]-591) And Index.

Cornel West is one of the nation’s premier public intellectuals and one of the great prophetic voices of our era. Whether he is writing a scholarly book or an article for Newsweek, whether he is speaking of Emerson, Gramsci, or Marvin Gaye, his work radiates a passion that reflects the rich traditions he draws on and weaves together—Baptist preaching, American transcendentalism, jazz, radical politics. This anthology reveals the dazzling range of West’s work, from his explorations of ”Prophetic Pragmatism” to his philosophizing on hip-hop.The Cornel West Reader traces the development of West’s extraordinary career as academic, public intellectual, and activist. In his essays, articles, books, and interviews, West emerges as America’s social conscience, urging attention to complicated issues of racial and economic justice, sexuality and gender, history and politics. This collection represents the best work of an always compelling, often controversial, and absolutely essential philosopher of the modern American experience.

The Cornel West Reader explores the development of West's singular career as teacher, public intellectual and activist. It features the extraordinary range of his voice, from an early foray into autobiographical fiction to scholarly work on philosophical subjects close to his heart. Candid interviews with people such as bell hooks and Bill Moyers reveal West's views on a range of timely subjects including the meaning and value of intellectual work, black-brown relations and black sexuality.Cornel West's writing ultimately confronts our existential quest for meaning and our political struggle for freedom. In his essays, articles, books and interviews, West emerges as America's social conscience, urging attention to complicated issues of racial and economic justice, sexuality and gender, history and politics. The Cornel West Reader represents the best work of an always compelling, often controversial and absolutely essential philosopher of the American experience, modernity and the human condition. Cornel West is one of the nation's premier public intellectuals and one of the great prophetic voices of our era. Whether he is writing a scholarly book or an article for Newsweek, whether he is speaking of Emerson, Gramsci, or Marvin Gaye, his work radiates a passion that reflects the rich traditions he draws on and weaves together: Baptist preaching, American transcendentalism, jazz, radical politics. This anthology reveals the dazzling range of West's work, from his explorations of ”Prophetic Pragmatism” to his philosophizing on hip-hop.__The Cornel West Reader__