Political philosopher Alexandre KojEve (1901-1968) assumed prominence and was popularly presented as advocating the -end of history, - an end that would result in universal free democracies and even freer markets: the proverbial happy ending. But Philosophy and Politics at the Precipice maintains that KojEve has been both famously misunderstood--and famous for being misunderstood.

Many peers and scholars saw his concept of the -end of history- as critical to his thought. Gary M. Kelly reads KojEve again--as a thinker of time, not as an advocate of its end, and...