Originally published in 1995, this book constitutes a turning point in the development of what François Laruelle calls non-philosophy, towards its democratic and emancipatory vision. In this work, Laruelle utilises his non-philosophical theory to develop unified theoretical analyses into philosophy’s relationship with the humanities, politics and psychoanalysis. Centred on the figure of the Stranger, he argues for a democratic reformation of thought governed by human multitudes. The new field of thought is opened by this Universal Humanity, identified with three different pathways: a science of people and non-humanism, democracy and non-politics, and non-psychoanalysis as the development of a Universal Unconscious.

At last, this key text by Laruelle has been made available to English language readers in this fine translation by Jeremy R. Smith. We, the strangers of non-philosophy, will be forever in his debt. -- Jonathan Fardy, Idaho State University
A cornerstone for Laruelle’s non-standard philosophy, Theory of Strangers marks crucial interventions in current psychoanalysis, ethics, politics, and the human sciences. Jeremy R. Smith’s precise and knowledgeable translation brings Laruelle’s challenging and microscopically inventive text alive in English, giving new breath and spark to settled theory. -- Rocco Gangle, Endicott College

Jeremy R. Smith is an independent researcher and translator. He is the co-founder of Oraxiom: A Journal of Non-Philosophy. He has translated several articles by Francois Laruelle as well as Anne-Françoise Schmid. François Laruelle (1937-2024) was Emeritus Professor of philosophy at University of Paris X: Nanterre and instigator of the movement known as “non-philosophy” or “non-standard philosophy.” Laruelle was the director of L’Organisation Non-Philosophique Internationale. Author of over thirty texts, Laruelle’s work has been translated into English, Greek, Russian, Chinese, and Portuguese.