This current dispute stems from Dr. West asserting in a column in The Guardian that Mr. Coates’s analysis of racism and white supremacy fails to account for broader factors like class and patriarchy, and that he is not critical enough of former President Barack Obama. Mr. Coates rebutted in a string of Twitter posts with excerpts from his work that included criticisms of Mr. Obama, and analyses of gender, poverty, war and other areas that Dr. West said he had failed to address.

“I can’t write on everything,” Mr. Coates wrote on Twitter. “I try my damnedest to be as grounded as I possibly can. And when I throw a punch, I try to have my feet set, and to swing with intention.”

In one of his most notable pieces, Mr. Coates, 42, laid out the case for reparations, and much of his writing explores the systemic structures that are detrimental to black Americans and that keep white people in power. Dr. West, 64, who came of age during the civil rights era and is equally dubious of the United States government, often highlights what he feels are the evils of capitalism and war, and regularly engages in direct action. He is from the tradition of liberation theology, contrary to Mr. Coates’s atheism.

Those who support Dr. West’s analysis have faulted Mr. Coates as unwilling to risk anything with what he writes and for being too kind to Mr. Obama. Supporters of Mr. Coates have noted the breadth of his writing and his willingness to openly grapple with concepts he is trying to master.

They also wonder whether Dr. West’s critique has been driven more by personality than policy. Observers have noted Dr. West’s feuds with other rising black scholars over the years, including Michael Eric Dyson, a Georgetown University professor and writer, and Melissa Harris-Perry, a professor at Wake Forest University.

The sniping continues, with Dr. Dyson suggesting that Dr. West is feuding because he is preparing to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of his book “Race Matters,” a best-seller that explores the broad swath of issues facing black communities.