Lacan, Althusser, Derrida, Foucault - the currency of these names in the world of modern thought is widespread. But all too often in the English-speaking world

He then addresses the period between 1968 and 1981, when the idea of revolution came under attack, and the impact of Francois Furet's revisionist historiography

French intellectuals have always defined themselves in political terms, typically as opponents to a corrupt government—but challenging state authority is not