Black Circle: A Life of Alexandre Kojeve

Alexandre Kojève (1902–1968) was a Russian-born French philosopher who interpreted Hegel and declared that history had ended. He was a critic of Martin Heidegger and interlocutor of Leo Strauss, and wrote unpublished works on quantum physics, the problem of the infinite, Buddhism, atheism, and Vassily Kandinsky's paintings. Jeff Love's book "The Black Circle" reinterprets Kojève's works, showing him to be an essential thinker who challenged modern society and its valuation of individuality, self-interest, and freedom from death. It emphasizes his neglected Russian roots and explores notions of perfection, freedom, and finality in his account of Hegel and his later works, clarifying Kojève's emancipatory thinking and the meaning of the "end of history."

Format: Hardback
Length: 376 pages
Publication date: 10 July 2018
Publisher: Columbia University Press

Alexandre Kojève, a prominent and thought-provoking philosopher, hailed from Russia and spent the majority of his life in France. His profound interpretation of Hegel and his audacious assertion that history had reached its culmination had a profound impact on French intellectuals and writers, including Raymond Aron, Georges Bataille, Maurice Merleau-Ponty, Jacques Lacan, and Raymond Queneau. Kojève, an unconventional Marxist, critically examined Martin Heidegger and engaged in dialogues with Leo Strauss, playing a pivotal role in establishing the European Economic Community. A polyglot with diverse interests, he authored unpublished works on quantum physics, the problem of infinity, Buddhism, atheism, and Vassily Kandinsky's paintings.

In his book, "The Black Circle," Jeff Love reexamines Kojève's works, presenting him as an indispensable thinker who dared to challenge modern society and its obsession with individuality, self-interest, and immunity from mortality. By highlighting Kojève's neglected Russian origins, "The Black Circle" places him within the context of the late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century Russian debates over the appropriate objectives of human existence. Love delves into concepts of perfection, freedom, and finality in Kojève's interpretation of Hegel and his lesser-known later works, elucidating Kojève's emancipatory thinking and the significance of the oft-misunderstood "end of history." This book combines intellectual history, meticulous textual analysis, and philosophy, unveiling Kojève's thought as a profound critique of capitalist individualism and a timely contemplation on human freedom.

Weight: 640g
Dimension: 163 x 237 x 32 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780231186568