Reimagining Life: Philosophical Pessimism and the Revolution of Surrealism

by Raihan Kadri

Publisher:

Fairleigh Dickinson University Press

, 2011

Overview

In Reimagining Life, Raihan Kadri presents a pioneering critical history of the epistemological and theoretical origins of the Surrealist movement and its subsequent legacy. The book contains extensive examination and new interpretations of the oft-neglected theoretical writing of Surrealists such as André Breton, Louis Aragon, Antonin Artaud, and Salvador Dalí, in order to demonstrate how Surrealism is connected to a broader lineage of philiosophical pessimism-involving such figures as Fredrich Nietzsche, Karl Marx, and Arthur Rimbaud-which Kadri argues represents a particular strain of modernism aimed at breaking human thought away from the constraints of religion and other forms of idealism in order to expand the possibilities for knowledge and human freedom. The innovative, wide-ranging study deftly traverses fields of art, politics, philosophy, psychology, and literature. Reimagining Life redefines Surrealism's place in modern intellectual history and offers a new vision of how Surrealist discourse can be connected to contemporary debates in cultural, critical, and theoretical studies.

Praise for Reimagining Life

“This is one of the most original studies of Surrealism to appear for many years. A close and brilliant reading of the most important early Surrealist texts brings out their theoretical foundations in philosophical pessimism and restores a sense of Surrealism's intellectual vitality. Artists and poets continue to explore its ideas and resources, and this book helps to explain why.”

"Reimagining Life is a tour de force that responds in extraordinarily thought-provoking and fruitful ways to the art historical studies that dominate Surrealism's scholarship. It is a bold reminder of why Surrealism, beyond its popular imagery, remains one of the most revolutionary intellectual movements of the twentieth century, with a lively discourse that continues to this day."

Product Details

• Title : Reimagining Life: Philosophical Pessimism and the Revolution of Surrealism
• Author: Kadri, Raihan
• Publisher: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press
• Publication Date: 2011
• ISBN: 9781611470130

About Raihan Kadri

Raihan Kadri has taught in the areas of philosophy, art history, and comparative studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz and University of Essex. He works as a writer, lecturer, and theoretician, specializing in modern intellectual history and Surrealism.