This is a brilliantly argued account of the past and present fortunes of theory. It also maps out a way forward for the humanities in which theory will play a crucial part.

Colin Davis is Professor of French Studies at the University of Warwick. His publications include Levinas: An Introduction (1996), Ethical Issues in Twentieth-Century French Fiction (2000) and French Fiction in the Mitterrand Years (with Elizabeth Fallaize, 2000).

Introduction 1 Impostures of French theory 2 Enlightenment/poststructuralism 3 After knowledge: Lyotard and the postmodern condition 4 After ethics: Levinas without stories 5 After hope: Althusser on reading and self-reading 6 After identity: Kristeva's life stories 7 Spectres of theory