Time and revolution

Revolution is about time. Theories on revolution need theories on time. True revolutionary endeavors rely on a clear understanding of history and how history unfolds. Above all, revolution is about how history ends. The questions posed by Bloch in the «Introduction» to "The Principle of Hope" address these radical issues by bringing to the surface the link between revolutionary thinking and theories on time, which are also to be found welded together at the very beginning of the philosophical venture. This contribution intends to outline the fundamental issues faced by critical thinking today, considering that its main task, as identifed by the young Marx, lies in the fulfllment of the thoughts of the past as well as in conceding defeat when it comes to trying to set a time-limit to time. Indeed, critical thinking today has to deal both with history and with critique itself, namely, with the inexorable proceeding into boundless catastrophe and, on the other hand, with surrendering to an idea of the future which resembles the projection of all that exists in an indefnitely expanded present, thereby delivering itself to a position of alignment with the capitalistic "revolutio" of the world.