he called “prophetic pragmatism.” He expounded upon this concept inThe American Evasion of Philosophy (1989), drawing upon the development of Anglo-American pragmatist philosophy and invoking the populist spirit of American philosophers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson to create a moral vision that takes into account race, class, and gender. In The Ethical Dimension of Marxist Thought (1991), a book that originated as West's doctoral dissertation, West applied Marxist concepts to contemporary political and social problems in an effort to counter what he viewed as the self-defeating forces of nihilism and skepticism. West argued that morality is found in the process of change and proposes radical historicism as an antidote to moral relativism.

West greatly enlarged his readership from the world of academia to that of the mainstream public with the release of his best-known work Race Matters in 1993. This book was published on the first anniversary of the Los Angeles riots which followed the acquittal of four white police officers accused in the beating of black motorist Rodney King. In this slim collection of eight previously published essays, West argues that both blacks and whites, liberals and conservatives, are all responsible for the poor state of race relations in the United States. In addition to an examination of the Los Angeles riots, which the author points out were not limited by race or class, Race Matters includes essays that cover the resurgent popularity of African-American activist Malcolm X, relations between blacks and Jews, black rage and sexuality, and what West sees as a “crisis of black leadership.” This crisis is evident in West's examination of the silence among black leaders when President George Bush appointed Clarence Thomas, a candidate whom many felt to be unqualified, to the Supreme Court. West argues that the African-American community needs what he refers to as “race-transcending prophetic leaders,” such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Fannie Lou Hammer of the National Welfare Rights Organization. The author believes that the current generation has failed to produce such a leader, a lack that only worsens the state of the disadvantaged. Keeping Faith (1993), West's next volume, consists of seventeen previously published essays on a diverse array of subjects including Marxist criticism of Georg Lukacs and Frederic Jameson, critical legal studies, pragmatism, architecture, and black painter Horace Pippin. The Future of Race (1996), co-authored with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., consists of W. E. B. Du Bois's 1903 essay “The Talented Tenth” and critical commentary on the responsibility of educated blacks in contemporary society. The book also discusses policy issues to alleviate poverty and to provide blacks with access to education and advancement. In addition to these works, West has authored, edited, and contributed to numerous books that further develop the major ideas propounded in his early works while exploring other topics including progressivism, parenting, and prison.

Critical Reception

Beginning with Prophecy Deliverance! and reaching a zenith with Race Matters, West has developed a reputation as a highly respected philosopher and critic. Although West has been reported as not entirely satisfied with Prophecy Deliverance!, the work earned praise from numerous reviewers and was received as a new phase in the history of black liberation theology. While West is consistently praised for his broad intelligence, rhetorical powers, and provocative insight into the issue of race, critics note that his work is often inaccessible to a wide audience due to his use of highly abstract concepts and allusions. West's writings have also been faulted for lacking intellectual rigor and depth due to their broad concerns and theoretical underpinnings. The American Evasion of Philosophy, regarded by many critics as West's most ambitious undertaking to date, was commended for its complex presentation of the history and significance of American pragmatism. Again West was praised for the wide range of his knowledge. Though the practical application of West's “prophetic pragmatism” was questioned in light of the abstract nature of the concept, West was credited with desiring to bring out of the sphere of academia a new type of intellectual life to serve the politically and socially disadvantaged. The publication of Race Matters, which was compared to the writings of Martin Luther King, Jr., W. E. B. Du Bois, and James Baldwin, affirmed West's position as one of the nation's foremost public intellectuals. Although West was taken to task for appearing to be a political centrist while also criticizing American capitalism, he was credited with attempting to provide a much-needed analytical framework for examining the plight of black Americans. As with earlier works, West was criticized for taking too broad an approach and for advancing idealistically vague solutions to the problems that he addressed. Nevertheless, the author was commended for his moral vision, keen intellect, and fresh perspective in addressing the much-visited topic of the country's racial divisions.