Early Life And Education

Susan Buck-Morss: American Philosopher and Intellectual

Early Life and Education

Susan Buck-Morss was born in 1942 in New York City. She received her B.A. in philosophy from Swarthmore College in 1963 and her Ph.D. in philosophy from Yale University in 1969.

Career

Buck-Morss began her academic career as an assistant professor of philosophy at New York University. She later held positions at Cornell University, the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Pittsburgh. In 1988, she joined the faculty of the CUNY Graduate Center, where she is currently Distinguished Professor of Political Science. Buck-Morss's work focuses on the relationship between philosophy, history, and social theory. She is best known for her work on the Frankfurt School, a group of German philosophers and social theorists who were active in the early 20th century. Buck-Morss's book "The Origin of Negative Dialectics: Theodor W. Adorno, Walter Benjamin, and the Frankfurt Institute" (1977) is considered a seminal work in the field of intellectual history. In addition to her work on the Frankfurt School, Buck-Morss has also written extensively on the history of socialism, the politics of memory, and the aesthetics of the Holocaust. Her work has been translated into more than twenty languages and has received numerous awards, including the Geschwister-Scholl-Preis and the Joseph Levenson Prize.

Conclusion

Susan Buck-Morss is one of the most influential intellectuals of our time. Her work has helped to shape our understanding of the relationship between philosophy, history, and social theory, and she has made significant contributions to our understanding of the Frankfurt School, the history of socialism, the politics of memory, and the aesthetics of the Holocaust. Buck-Morss is a brilliant and original thinker whose work will continue to be influential for many years to come.