French Literature Reviews - 2026
T. Eagleton, Materialism
Philosophy, Anthropology and Ideas
Terry Eagleton
Materialism
Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300246629
192 p.
16,00 $
OVERVIEW
In this eye-opening, intellectually stimulating appreciation of a fascinating school of philosophy, Terry Eagleton makes a powerful argument that materialism is at the center of today’s crucial scientific, cultural, and philosophical debates. The author reveals entirely fresh ways of considering the values and beliefs of three very different materialists—Marx, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein—drawing striking comparisons between their philosophies while reflecting on a wide array of topics, from ideology and history to language, ethics, and aesthetics. Cogently demonstrating how our bodies and corporeal activity make thought and consciousness possible, Eagleton’s book offers a valuable exposition of philosophical thought that cuts to the core of how we understand ourselves and live in the world.
Terry Eagleton is Distinguished Visiting Professor of English Literature at Lancaster University and the author of more than fifty books in literary theory, postmodernism, politics, ideology, and religion. He lives in Northern Ireland.
REVIEWS
Frequently insightful and quite often witty."—Joseph A. Bracken, Theological Studies
"Materialist thinkers of various stripes have been struggling of late to renew our sense of 'the commons.' They would do well to take to heart Terry Eagleton’s new, eminently commonsensical elaboration of the concept of materialism. Eagleton partners up with Marx, Nietzsche, Freud and Wittgenstein to awaken us to the materialism we already live, to which we have always already committed, in our embodied practices. We thereby come to see how the natural history of our forms of life implicates us in a creaturely solidarity with one another, the elaboration of which constitutes the conflict-ridden realm of politics. Eagleton’s uncommonly luminous prose holds out the promise that a genuinely common life – call it ordinary life – for creatures such as us might yet be achievable."—Eric L. Santner, author of On Creaturely Life
“[F]requently insightful and quite often witty. . . . [Eagleton] is offering a clear challenge to the ontological priority of form over matter in classical metaphysics.”—Joseph A. Bracken, Theological Studies
"Eagleton’s book is an excellent and timely treatment of its subject matter, bringing an array of sources to bear in a nuanced account. There will be something for almost any reader to enthusiastically agree—and vehemently disagree—with here"—Daniel A. Rober, Journal of the College Theology Society
"This is a well-written and engaging book packed with interesting observations, analyses, some quite brilliant insights, and not a few jokes."—Paul O’Grady, editor of The Consolations of Philosophy
Materialism has long occupied a central place in philosophical inquiry, positioning physical existence and bodily practice as fundamental to consciousness and culture. Within the broader tradition of modern thought, thinkers across various disciplines have continually reexamined the relationship between material conditions, language, and human agency. Terry Eagleton considers the values and beliefs of Marx, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein, drawing comparisons between their philosophies and reflecting on topics ranging from ideology and history to ethics, aesthetics, and language. Readers interested in contemporary philosophical debates may find this volume relevant to their inquiries.
The ongoing discussion surrounding materialist philosophy often engages with the ways in which human corporeal activity shapes our understanding of selfhood and society. By focusing on how physical existence makes thought possible, works in this field contribute to wider conversations about human agency and creaturely solidarity. Terry Eagleton reflects on these themes by examining how our bodies and corporeal activity make thought and consciousness possible, and the volume engages with a wide array of topics, reflecting on ideology, history, language, ethics, and aesthetics.