Provocative essay on the relationship between communism, philosophy and language

The contemporary world, argues Boris Groys, was made possible by the downfall of historical communism. At the same time, today’s political and aesthetic strategies — from a unified Europe to political Islam and contemporary mass culture — all bear the imprint of communist heritage.

The renowned art critic and philosopher Boris Groys explores this post-communist condition through a radical and disturbing account of Soviet philosophy. He argues that communist revolution is the transcription of society from the medium of money to the medium of language — a linguistic turn at the level of social praxis. From Plato’s philosopher-king onwards, philosophers have dreamt of ruling society through the mastery of language. Groys claims that the end of Soviet communism sets this dream free for new attempts to organize society through language, the medium of equality.

Praise for The Communist Postscript:

“A timely intervention in present debates about the legacy of communism… a provocative addition to Groys’ brilliantly paradoxical body of work, and deserves to be read in a suitably contrary frame of mind.” — Brian Dillon, Art Review

“Groys has claimed a defining role in the reception of the Russian avant-garde … The Communist Postscript presents Groys’s attempt to advocate the communist idea against its own historic assumptions.” — Radical Philosophy

Praise for The Total Art of Stalinism:

“This is not just a book, but an event … The Total Art of Stalinism is an intellectual landmark.” — Art Bulletin

Praise for Art Power

“Art Power recombines categories, reconfigures assumptions, and, in the end, reimagines what art writing can be.” — Bookforum

Boris Groys is Professor of Aesthetics, Art History, and Media Theory at the Center for Art and Media Technology in Karlsruhe, and since 2005, the Distinguished Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Science, NYU. He has published numerous books, including The Total Art of Stalinism, Ilya Kabakov: The Man Who Flew into Space from His Apartment, and Art Power.