The contemporary world, argues Boris Groys, was made possible by the downfall of historical communism. At the same time, today's political and aesthetic strategies - from a unified Europe to political Islam and contemporary mass culture - all bear the imprint of communist heritage. The renowned art critic and philosopher Boris Groys explores this post-communist condition through a radical and disturbing account of Soviet philosophy. He argues that communist revolution is the transcription of society from the medium of money to the medium of language - a linguistic turn at the level of social praxis. From Plato's philosopher-king onwards, philosophers have dreamt of ruling society through the mastery of language. Groys claims that the end of Soviet communism sets this dream free for new attempts to organize society through language, the medium of equality.

Translated by: Thomas Ford