Transgression and the Inexistent

A contemporary philosopher of Tunisian origin Mehdi Belhaj Kacem is here published in English for the first time. His new book <i>Transgression and the Inexistent: A Philosophical Vocabulary</i> is a comprehensive foray into Kacem's elaborate philosophical system in twenty-seven discreet chapters each dedicated to a single concept. In each chapter he explicates a critical re-thinking of ordinary lived experiences - such as desire irony play - or traditional philosophical ideas - such as catharsis mimesis techne - in light of 'the spirit of nihilism' that marks the contemporary human condition. <br/> <br/>Kacem gained notoriety in the domain of critical theory amid his controversial break with his mentor and leading contemporary philosopher Alain Badiou. <i>Transgression and the Inexistent</i> lays out the essential concepts of his philosophical system: it is the most complete and synthetic book of his philosophical work as well as being one of the most provocative in its claims. As a Francophone author engaging with contemporary world thought he is able to develop novel philosophical perspectives that reach beyond the Middle East or the Continental and the East/West binary. This is the book's first publication in any language constituting a much-awaited first translation of Kacem into English.