Cornel West
Cornel West | |
|---|---|
West in 2018 | |
| Born | Cornel Ronald West June 2, 1953 |
| Political party |
|
| Other political affiliations | Democratic Socialists of America (since 1982) |
| Spouses | Hilda Holloman
(m. 1977, divorced)Ramona Santiago
(m. 1981; div. 1986)Elleni Gebre Amlak
(m. 1992, divorced)Leslie Kotkin
(m. 2015; div. 2018)Annahita Mahdavi (m. 2021) |
| Education | |
| Education | Harvard University (BA) Princeton University (MA, PhD) |
| Thesis | Ethics, Historicism and the Marxist Tradition (1980) |
| Doctoral advisor | Raymond Geuss, Sheldon Wolin |
| Philosophical work | |
| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | |
| Institutions | Union Theological Seminary Yale University Harvard University Princeton University Dartmouth College University of Paris in Saint-Denis |
| Doctoral students | Leah Hunt-Hendrix |
| Main interests | |
| Notable works |
|
| Website | cornelwest |
Cornel Ronald West (born June 2, 1953) is an American philosopher, theologian, political activist, politician, social critic, and public intellectual. West was an independent candidate in the 2024 United States presidential election and is an outspoken voice in left-wing politics in the United States.
The grandson of a Baptist minister, West's primary philosophy focuses on the roles of race, gender, and class struggle in American society. A socialist, West draws intellectual contributions from multiple traditions, including Christianity, the black church, democratic socialism, left-wing populism, neopragmatism, and transcendentalism.
During his career, he has held professorships and fellowships at Harvard University, Yale University, Union Theological Seminary, Princeton University, Dartmouth College, Pepperdine University, and the University of Paris in Saint-Denis. Among his most influential books are Race Matters (1993) and Democracy Matters (2004).
He has been featured in several documentaries, and made appearances in Hollywood films such as The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, as well as providing commentary for both films. West has also made several spoken word and hip hop albums.