Language In Ernst Bloch's Speculative Materialism

Nathaniel Barron offers the first book length account in English of Ernst Bloch's contribution to a Marxist philosophy of language. Barrons account is ambitious both in situating Blochs ideas in the broader Marxist engagement with language as it currently exists, and in using Blochs utopian categories to challenge that engagement. In particular, Barron reads Voloshinovs insights into language through Blochs categories, and argues that Bloch advances on Voloshinov by offering an understanding of the social materiality of languagean approach which is more useful for challenging fascist forms of utterance.