French Philosophy Since 1945

After World War II, philosophy in France entered a particularly rich period whose influence is still strong in many areas today. New styles were invented, new problems were formulated, and new critical functions were engaged, reaching into many domains around the world.

In French Philosophy Since 1945, the fourth and final volume of The New Press Postwar French Thought series, Etienne Balibar and John Rajchman provide a fresh map and analysis for understanding this singular period in the history of ideas. Organized around a series of interconnected questions, featuring many different and sometimes opposed voices, this anthology collects the writings of celebrated philosophers along with work by thinkers highly regarded in France but not as well known to a U.S. audience for the first time. With new translations by Arthur Goldhammer, French Philosophy Since 1945 contextualizes this material within a larger intellectual and political history and chronology, identifying antecedents and distinguishing four main phases or moments. Indispensable for understanding the development of postwar French philosophy as a whole, this anthology also includes a comprehensive chronology outlining developments in the field since 1945.