Atheism by Alexandre Kojève

Atheism

Alexandre Kojève

Columbia University Press

Given the standing and prominence of French philosophers, Alexandre Kojève’s oeuvre was almost eclipsed in the new world but has been immensely influential in Europe and the predecessor of the union thereof.

Jeff Love’s new translation of Kojève’s unfinished emission, i.e. Atheism, is focused on what can be described as the impossibility of determining a central authority of transcendence outside the confines of politics, i.e. what is commonly referred to as “god”

In essence, Atheism is a profound exploration of the deeper questions of life and death.

It touches and questions belief systems, notions, literature and what seems to be proven by science, specifically mathematics.

What I find most interesting is that Kojève not only questions god’s existence per se in a borderline Dostoyevsky-an manner, but the fundamental question is raised if we as more humans even have the capability to question it.

If you have read your Heidegger and you are remotely interested in anthropology, Kojève’s mostly pessimistic take on things will intrigue you as he ups the ante with a more radical approach that elevates essential questions to the next level far beyond the Hegelian Phenomenology of Spirit.

Having indulged in Alexandre Kojève’s thoughts, Francis Bacon’s take on atheism came to mind as he stated that a bit of philosophy leads to atheism, but a lot leads to a profound faith in god, specifically when Kojève muses on action negating being and pure nothingness ultimately being the prerequisite to enable becoming, which replaces being.

Sounds confusing? Give this one a go – I found it most enlightening and asking questions that lie underneath the surface that is usually not scratched by other atheist philosophers.