So happy to be able to blog Cornel West (scroll to bottom of link) for the first time here. He's been an intellectual hero of mine for about two decades - a polymathic mind who uses his African-American heritage to make extraordinary critical insights (see his reader for evidence of that). West's in the news at the moment for his new book, Democracy Matters, profiled here. But he makes more than decent rap records also, and most famously appeared as one of the elders of Zion (oh yes) in the last two Matrix movies. And, hippest of all, he's doing a philosophical directors' commentary on the forthcoming Matrix DVD, along with integral thinker Ken Wilber. Not to mention his forthcoming work on the pragmatist David Hume (grappling with his advocacy of slave-owning).
I don't own up to many heroes - but Professor West fulfills all my criteria. Explore and enjoy.
