Cornel West

Cornel West is an American philosopher, public intellectual, and political activist whose work combines pragmatism, critical theory, and the Black prophetic tradition. His book Race Matters brought philosophical rigour to discussions of race, democracy, and despair in America.

West's intellectual project situates African-American experience at the intersection of the American democratic tradition, the prophetic Christian tradition, and the blues as a philosophical stance toward suffering and survival. His work on Dewey, Gramsci, and the Frankfurt School gives his social criticism a deep philosophical genealogy.