In this concise introduction, Chad Kautzer demonstrates the shared emancipatory goals and methods of several radical philosophies, from Marxism and feminism to critical race and queer theory. Radical Philosophy examines the relations of theory and practice, knowledge and power, as well as the function of law in creating extralegal forms of domination. Through a critical engagement with the history of philosophy, Kautzer reconstructs important counter-traditions of historical, dialectical, and reflexive forms of critique relevant to contemporary social struggles. The result is an innovative, systematic guide to radical theory and critical resistance.
Introduction 1. Critical Methodology 2. Marxism and Class Critique 3. Feminism and Queer Theory 4. Antiracism and the Whiteness Problem
Biography
Chad Kautzer is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Social Justice Minor at the University of Colorado Denver. He is co-editor, with Eduardo Mendieta, of Pragmatism, Nation, and Race: Community in the Age of Empire (Indiana University Press, 2009).
“Turn the university upside down! Turn philosophy upside down. Think against the world of destruction and oppression—and cultivate resistance. This book is a terrific place to start, just what we need.”
—John Holloway, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Mexico, author of Change the World without Taking Power and Crack Capitalism
“Radical Philosophy: An Introduction constitutes a major scholarly contribution without rival. The analysis of domination through the lenses of race, class, gender, and sexuality in the context of a rich historical engagement is a hallmark of Kautzer’s scholarship. The book concludes with a novel conception of the function of whiteness in extra-legal structures of racism. The elegant style renders the book highly readable, which is an important benefit of a text that has much to offer scholars, students, and activists.”
— Cynthia Willett, Emory University, author of Interspecies Ethics and Irony in the Age of Empire
“ Ever since Socrates, philosophy has been a dangerous endeavor, but it loses its critical edge if practiced only as an academic exercise. Chad Kautzer renews philosophy’s original stance by making a forceful case for an interventionist thinking informed by contemporary social struggles. This book is an indispensable tool for all who want not only to interpret the world but to change it.”
— Daniel Loick, Goethe Universität, Frankfurt am Main, author of The Critique of Sovereignty (Kritik der Souveränität)
