Cornel West and Philosophy

by Clarence Johnson

Overview

Cornel West's reputation as a public and celebrity intellectual has overshadowed his important contributions to philosophy. Professor Clarence Shole Johnson provides a rectification of this situation in this benchmark, thought-provoking book. After a brief biographical sketch, Johnson leads us through a comprehensive examination of West's philosophy from his conceptions of pragmatism, existentialism, Marxism, and Prophetic Christianity to his persuasive writings on black-Jewish relations, affirmative action, and the role of black intellectuals. Special focus is given to West's writings on ethics and social justice, and how these inform his entire theoretical framework. Cornel West and Philosophy is a unique and indispensable guide to West's diverse philosophical writings.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781134727810
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	05/01/2014
Series:	Africana Thought
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	238
File size:	548 KB

About the Author

Clarence Sholé Johnson is Professor of Philosophy at Middle Tennessee State University. He specializes in early modern philosophy, ethics and Africana and African American philosophy.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Introduction: Cornel West's Philosophical Writings and Social Justice 1. Pragmatism and Existentialism 2. Humanistic Scholarship and Praxis 3. Black Prophetic Christianity and Marxist Social Thought 4. Black-Jewish Conflict and Dialogue 5. Affirmative Action and Proto-Marxism 6. Modernity, Philosophy, and Race(ism) Postscript: West, Public Intellectualism, and the Harvard Controversy Notes Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

"...a formidable work of scholarship. As a philosophical scholar, Johnson has produced a readerly text that captures the reader's attention from beginning to end." — Floyd W. Hayes, III, The APA Newsletter on Philosophy and the Black Experience
"Nowhere in the literature on West — and certainly not in West's writings themselves — is there nearly such a good statement of West's views or one that organizes them into such a readily comprehensible structure. So, for someone who is looking for a good clear understanding of what really drives West's apparently unconnected views on so many matters, this volume cannot be beaten." — Amazon.com
". . .the best available introduction to West's thought." — Amazon.com
"...a welcome and intelligent assessment of West's philosophy and ethics and their engagement with issues of social justice and race." — Seminary Co-op Bookstore Review
"...a formidable work of scholarship. As a philosophical scholar, Johnson has produced a readerly text that captures the reader's attention from beginning to end." — Floyd W. Hayes, III, APA Newsletter on Philosophy and the Black Experience

From the Publisher