Sloterdijk's “Critique of Cynical Reason” is one of the most important works of Western philosophy in the second half of the twentieth century. Timed to coincide with the 200th anniversary of Immanuel Kant's “Critique of Pure Reason”, this explosive, witty work created a furor in academic circles, forcing a change in the way we look at the world around us and moral issues. Upon its publication in Germany in 1983, this author's book stirred both critical acclaim and consternation, attracting a wide readership. He finds cynicism the dominant mode in contemporary culture, in personal and institutional settings; his book is both a history of the impulse and an investigation of its role today, among those whose earlier hopes for social change have crumbled and faded away.