With its innovative narrative structure and its controversial explorations of race, gender and empire, Joseph Conrad'sHeart of Darknessis a landmark of 20th century literature that continues to resonate to this day. This book brings together leading scholars to explore the full range of contemporary philosophical and critical responses to the text.Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' and Contemporary Thoughtincludes the first publication in English of philosopher Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe's 2007 essay, "The Horror of the West", described by J. Hillis Miller as "a major essay on Conrad's novel, one of the best ever written". In the company of Lacoue-Labarthe, leading scholars explore new readings of Conrad's text from a full range of theoretical perspectives, including deconstructive, psychoanalytic, feminist and postcolonial approaches. Drawing on the very latest insights of contemporary thought, this is an essential study of one of the most important literary texts of the 20th century.