Dr. Ian James

Biography

Professor Ian James focuses on twentieth-century contemporary French literature and philosophy. He has written extensively on contemporary French philosophy and its reception in France, alongside German thought, including figures such as Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Husserl, and Heidegger. His work involves a detailed analysis of specific thinkers like Jean-Luc Nancy, Catherine Malabou, Bernard Stiegler, François Laruelle, and Paul Virilio. He emphasizes the interplay between philosophy and various areas of knowledge, including aesthetics, artistic and literary practices, and political thought. His recent book, 'Technique Thought' (2019), examines the relationship between post-deconstructive French philosophy and the sciences, aiming to develop a unique form of philosophical naturalism. As an editor for 'Paragraph: Journal Modern Critical Theory', Ian engages in several ongoing and future research projects related to biodeconstruction, semiotics, and biological theory, furthering the exploration of 'post-continental' naturalism. He also considers narrative reconfiguration in literary naturalism, especially in the critical readings of Marcel Proust and Pascal Quignard. His forthcoming book, 'Rethinking Literary Naturalism: Proust Quignard Life', is set to be published by Liverpool University Press.

Research Interests