Prolegomena to Any Future Materialism

“This is a remarkable work of epic proportions, in which Johnston describes the origins of what he calls ‘transcendental materialism’ in Hegel’s proposal that Spirit arises from Nature. Equally significant is the way Johnston enhances Hegel with the best insights from Marx, Engels, Dietzgen, Freud, Lenin, Lukács, Lacan, and Althusser, resulting in a very powerful and highly original ‘dialectical naturalism’ for our times.”—Andrew Cole, author of The Birth of Theory

“Adrian Johnston’s sweeping project of Prolegomena to Any Future Materialism has hardly any match regarding its ambition, goal, and scope. With a sovereign ease, it crosses all the usual boundaries, taking its cue from both the continental and the analytical traditions, from psychoanalysis and neuroscience, from German idealism and scientific naturalism, from Marxism and poststructuralism. An essential read.”— Mladen Dolar, author of A Voice is Nothing More

“Adrian Johnston’s trilogy Prolegomena To Any Future Materialism promises to achieve the most important confrontation between continental and analytic philosophy ever written. In this second volume, Johnston pursues the elaboration of a materialist yet nonreductionist theory of subjectivity. He discusses with Hegel, Marx, McDowell, Brandom, and so many others the 'underground current of naturalism' that haunts philosophy today and powerfully outlines a new definition of freedom” —Catherine Malabou, author of What Should We Do With Our Brain? “Adrian Johnston is one of the most original philosophers of his generation. This second tome of Prolegomena to Any Future Materialism will provide food for thought for many years to come. Who else can combine a defense of Engels's dialectic of nature with Hegel's materialist underside? Who else can leap from Soviet science to the philosophy of Alain Badiou, from Nancy Cartwright to the late Lukács, or from John McDowell to the canonical Althusser?” —Bruno Bosteels, author of Badiou and Politics
  “Adrian Johnston is one of the most innovative and audacious continental philosophers writing today. Over the past decade, he has developed an original theoretical synthesis of remarkable sophistication. This volume is a significant addition to his already impressive body of work.”— Ray Brassier, author of Nihil Unbound: Enlightenment and Extinction?