Traces a conceptual history of critique in German philosophy from the eighteenth century to the present.

Critique has been a central theme in the German philosophical tradition since the eighteenth century. The main goal of this book is to provide a history of this concept from its Kantian inception to contemporary critical theory. Focusing on both canonical and previously overlooked texts and thinkers, the contributors bring to light alternative conceptions of critique within nineteenth- and twentieth-century German philosophy, which have profound implications for contemporary philosophy. By offering a critical revision of the history of modern European philosophy, this book raises new questions about what it means for philosophy to be "critical" today.

María del Rosario Acosta López is Professor of Hispanic Studies at the University of California, Riverside. She has published several books, including Aesthetic Reason and Imaginative Freedom: Friedrich Schiller and Philosophy (coedited with Jeffrey L. Powell), also published by SUNY Press. J. Colin McQuillan is Associate Professor of Philosophy at St. Mary's University. His previously published books include Immanuel Kant: The Very Idea of a Critique of Pure Reason.