The author proposes a new understanding of the fundamental concepts of metaphysics and an explanation of the historical problematic that underlies the postmodern "end of culture". "Gans once again achieves in this book a level of explanatory coherence and a richness of ideas rarely seen today. In this extremely interesting and complex work, an event in itself, he proves himself a thinker of the first magnitude."-Tobin Siebers, University of Michigan