10 Contemporary Philosophers Worth Reading
To Go Beyond Chomsky and Žižek
When people think about philosophy and philosophers, the image that most likely comes to mind is that of elderly men dressed in either togas or Victorian garb with tormented looks on their faces. To those more in tune with the current era, celebrity philosophers like John Searle of the Chinese Room argument fame, Slovenian Philosophy-Rockstar Slavoj Žižek or perhaps a political commentator like Noam Chomsky might spring to mind. But there are so many more. Philosophy today is more alive than it’s ever been and more and more people are seeking to read more philosophy. But which contemporary philosophers should you be reading?
This is a tricky question to answer because it all depends on your personal interests and background. This said, I’d like to introduce you to ten contemporary philosophers (male and female) whose work might help you engage with the world today. Of course, this list is far from objective and completely influenced by my own interests and the books I’ve read, but it’s a starting point.
1. Georgio Agamben
First up is Italian philosopher Georgio Agamben (b. 1942). Building on the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Michel Foucault, Agamben really took up the idea of the State of Exception, a far-reaching concept in modern-day philosophy. The idea itself was first developed by Carl Schmitt, but Agamben brought it to maturity in his book State of Exception (2003) in which he outlines how power makes perpetual exceptions of people it doesn’t approve of in order to justify getting rid of them. Basically, he questions why there’s one rule for some and another for everybody else. Agamben’s work is useful reading for anybody questioning the social and political institutions surrounding them.
2. Joseph-Achille Mbembe
If State of Exception gets you thinking, you might also be interested in the work of Cameroonian philosopher Joseph-Achille Mbembe (b. 1957), who in his essay Necropolitics (2003) builds on Agamben’s ideas, arguing that power in the modern age really is the self-appointed right to inflict terror and death. Often called a postcolonial theorist, Mbembe has thoroughly rejected this label because he sees his project as one of both acceptance and transcendence of difference, rather than of return to an original, marginal, non-metropolitan homeland.
3. Falguni Sheth
Third, the first female philosopher on my list, Falguni Sheth (b. 1968). Agamben and Mbembe may have brought the state of exception to the modern age, but Sheth is taking it into the future. In her book Toward a Political Philosophy of Race (2009) she outlines a really interesting answer to the question: Is race a biological category or a social construct? Her argument is that it’s actually neither. Sheth believes race is merely a tool that gives socio-political significance to physical features in order to preserve power. In other words, it’s a state not just of exception but of categorisation.
4. Berys Gaut
Next, the hipsters’ choice, Berys Gaut (b. 1958), who practically invented the modern field of Philosophy of Creativity. In his work, Gaut brings together insights from the fields of art, biology, neurology, computer science, evolutionary science and philosophy. Whether you are an armchair philosopher, a computer programmer, an artist or an actual hipster, you’re sure to find something of interest in Gaut’s oeuvre.
5. Cornel West
Number five is Cornel West (b. 1953), currently the most outspoken voice in American leftist politics. The son of a Baptist minister, West focuses on the role of race, gender, and class in American society and the means by which people act and react to their ‘radical conditionedness.’ Styling himself as a radical democrat socialist, West draws intellectual contributions from multiple traditions, including Christianity, the black church, Marxism, neopragmatism, and transcendentalism. Among his most influential books are Race Matters (1994) and Democracy Matters (2004). Today, West is probably most readily recognised as a political commentator, making frequent appearances as on television and radio news programs, as well as late night talk shows.
6. Elizabeth Ashford
The second female on my list is Elizabeth Ashford (b. 1965) who concerns herself with the Philosophy of Global Justice. In her work she comments on questions like: Who is responsible for fighting global warming? What should be done about sweatshop labour? and, Should the rich help the poor? Over the years, she’s written quite a corpus on these and other human rights issues and takes a really clear, analytical approach to the complex issues of modernity. A great introduction to the moral issues of today.
7. Alain Badiou
French philosopher Alain Badiou (b. 1937) is next. Following Gilles Deleuze, Michel Foucault and Jean-François Lyotard, Badiou has written about mathematics, political theory, and ontology. His aim is to interrogate art and history as well as scientific discovery. In his approach to philosophy, Badiou has been influenced by Althusserian Marxism, and the psychoanalysis of Jacques Lacan. His most famous work is Being and Event (1988), which brings together many of his key ideas and is seen by some as a contemporary reinterpretation of Platonism.
8. Talia Bettcher
A philosopher spearheading the emerging field of Philosophy of Gender is Talia Bettcher. In her work, Bettcher asks how we might use philosophy to make the world a better, more tolerant place and aims to liberate people oppressed on the grounds of gender, transgenders in particular. Although not specifically a field of interest to me, transgenderism is definitely a topic of heated debate today and so Bettcher’s work deserves your interest.
9. Alasdair Macintyre
Then, Alasdair Macintyre (b. 1929), a philosopher of Ethics and Politics. Macintyre’s work incorporates history of philosophy and theology. Arguing from history, he is largely concerned with accounting for the decline of morality and moral rationality in society since the Enlightenment, and reclaiming the philosophy of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas as a potential solution to what he sees as society’s current ills. Macintyre’s s most influential book is After Virtue (1981), in which he explores the aforementioned ideas and develops a critique of modern liberal capitalism and the society it has produced. His main argument being that because there is an absence of any coherent moral code, the sense of purpose and community has been lost for most people in modern society. Macintyre argues for a return to purpose and community through a return to virtue ethics and you might find yourself agreeing with him.
10. Jos de Mul
I’d like to complete this list with Jos de Mul (b. 1956), professor of Anthropology and its History at my alma mater, the Erasmus University of Rotterdam. De Mul’s work focuses on the (partly overlapping) domains of philosophical anthropology, philosophy of art and culture, and the philosophy of information and communication technologies. In his best known book, the Cyberspace Odyssey (2005), De Mul thoroughly discusses the impact of technology on humanity and contemporary art.
Well that’s it, my ten suggested philosophers for you to read and be able to engage more with the world today. I hope you’ll get started and enjoy it as much as I do.
[T]here you are.
