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Overview
Cornelius Castoriadis is presently Director of Studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris. He is a philosopher, social critic, professional economist, practicing psychoanalyst and one of Europe's foremost thinkers. The Castoriadis Reader provides for the first time an overview of the author's work and encompasses every aspect of his thought.
Synopsis
Cornelius Castoriadis (b.1922) cofounded the now legendary revolutionary group and journal Socialisme ou Barbarie (1948-1967). Presently a Director of Studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris, Castoriadis is a philosopher, social critic, professional economist, and a practicing psychoanalyst, who is considered one of Europe's foremost thinkers. For both first-time readers and those already familiar with his work, The Castoriadis Reader provides a thorough overview that encompasses every aspect of his thought: Socialisme ou Barbarie's trenchant critique of Russian totalitariansim and of "modern capitalism" in the West, which paved the way for alternative left-wing politics and inspired the 1968 student-worker rebellion in France; the development of ideas of a "project of autonomy" and "the imaginary institution of society"; and a representative selection of recent texts on ecology, aesthetics, the "crisis of Western Societies", the "radical imagination", the philosophical significance of psychoanalysis, an alternative interview offers a historical overview of Castoriadis's life and work. In a concluding chapter that presents replies to his international critics, the author further clarifies his ideas while opening new paths for the creation of an "autonomous society." David Ames Curtis's selection of classical and contemporary material charts Castoriadis's contributions to the revolutionizing of thought and society over the past five decades. His Foreword and the thorough listing of Castoriadis's major texts provide the reader with the necessary background for further explorations.
Lingua Franca - Scott McLemmee
The Castoriadis Reader, with representative extracts from almost fifty years of political and philosophical writing, reflects his long march from Marx back to Aristotle.
Editorials
Scott McLemmee
The Castoriadis Reader, with representative extracts from almost fifty years of political and philosophical writing, reflects his long march from Marx back to Aristotle.—Lingua Franca
From the Publisher
"The Castoriadis Reader, with representative extracts from almost fifty years of political and philosophical writing, reflects his long march from Marx back to Aristotle." Scott McLemmee, Lingua Franca"When so many pay superficial tribute to false prophets, how much better to pay serious attention to this true thinker." Nicolas Walter, New Statesman
"For those unfamiliar with the thought of Castoriadis, reading his works for the first time is to encounter one of the most original and creative figures of the last half of the twentieth century." David Wallace, Topia