1001Philosophers

Cornel West Quotes on Politics

Cornel West is an American philosopher, theologian, and public intellectual whose work brings together pragmatism, the African-American intellectual tradition, and prophetic Christianity. This page collects quotes attributed to Cornel West on the topic of politics, drawn from across the philosopher's works.

Quotes

  • Attributed to Cornel West:

    “Race matters in American history because race has always mattered.”

  • Attributed to Cornel West:

    “Hope is a verb as much as it is a noun.”

  • “The Role of Law in Progressive Politics" in Keeping Faith: Philosophy and Race in America (1993)”

    In situations of sparse resources along with degraded self-images and depoliticized sensibilities, one avenue for poor people is in existential rebellion and anarchic expression. The capacity to produce social chaos is the last resort of desperate people.
  • “The rule of Big Money and its attendant culture of cupidity and mendacity has so poisoned our hearts, minds and souls that a dominant self-righteous neoliberal soulcraft of smartness, dollars and bombs thrives with little opposition.”

    "America is spiritually bankrupt. We must fight back together." The Guardian , (14 January 2018)