Description: The first wide-ranging examination of the concept of history in Badiou's work, exploring what his radical ideas could mean for traditional approaches to historiography.
Brief description: Kerry William Purcell is a Senior Lecturer in Design History at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. He specialises in visual cultural theory, and has previously written on the philosophy of history and key figures in the history of visual culture.
Review Quotes:
"Purcell's engaging book calls for a transformation in our understanding of history in the light of Badiou's philosophy of the event. It makes a highly original contribution to the reception of Badiou's work and offers a timely questioning of historiography and the professional activity of historians.'" --Ian James, Professor of Modern French Philosophy and Literature, University of Cambridge, UK
"This is an original and timely study of the concept of history in Alain Badiou's opus. Its meticulous analysis and compelling revalorisation of this crucial, but neglected aspect of his thought is enriched by a wide-ranging consideration of the philosophical and political influences that shaped it." --Damian Catani, Senior Lecturer in French, Birkbeck University, UK