The Imaginary Institution of Society

The Imaginary Institution of Society PDF Author: Cornelius Castoriadis
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 9780262531559
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 430

Book Description
This is one of the most original and important works of contemporaryEuropean thought. First published in France in 1975, it is the major theoretical work of one of the foremost thinkers in Europe today. This is one of the most original and important works of contemporary European thought. First published in France in 1975, it is the major theoretical work of one of the foremost thinkers in Europe today. Castoriadis offers a brilliant and far-reaching analysis of the unique character of the social-historical world and its relations to the individual, to language, and to nature. He argues that most traditional conceptions of society and history overlook the essential feature of the social-historical world, namely that this world is not articulated once and for all but is in each case the creation of the society concerned. In emphasizing the element of creativity, Castoriadis opens the way for rethinking political theory and practice in terms of the autonomous and explicit self-institution of society.

Castoriadis's Ontology

Castoriadis's Ontology PDF Author: Suzi Adams
Publisher: Fordham Univ Press
ISBN: 0823234584
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 318

Book Description
This book is the first systematic reconstruction of Castoriadis's philosophical trajectory. It critically interprets the shifts in his ontology by reconsidering the ancient problematic of human institution(nomos) and nature(physis), on the one hand, and the question of beingand creation, on the other.Unlike the order of physis, the order of nomos has played no substantial role in the development of Western thought. The first part of the book suggests that Castoriadis sought to remedy this by elucidating the social-historical as the region of being that eludes the determinist imaginary of inherited philosophy. This ontological turn was announced in his 1975 magnum opus, The Imaginary Institution of Society.With the aid of archival sources, the second half of the book reconstructs a second ontological shift in Castoriadis's thought that occurred during the 1980s. The author argues that Castoriadis extends his notion of ontological creationbeyond the human realm and into nature. This move has implications for his overall ontology and signals a shift toward a general ontology of creative physis

Figures of the Thinkable

Figures of the Thinkable PDF Author: Cornelius Castoriadis
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 9780804742344
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 314

Book Description
A collection of articles, lectures, and interviews whose apparent variety, touching on social criticism, psychoanalysis, philosophy, poetry and science, among others, is actually strongly focused on one main idea: that of autonomous, creative action at the individual and collective levels.

Castoriadis

Castoriadis PDF Author: Jeff Klooger
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004175296
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 361

Book Description
This book is a critical exploration of the philosophical underpinnings and implications of Cornelius Castoriadis reflections on Being, society and the self. The book introduces the reader to the main concepts of Castoriadis work, but goes further to uncover the fundamental philosophical issues addressed by Castoriadis, and to critically examine the issues his work opens up, assessing and, where necessary, offering suggested amendments to the answers Castoriadis himself puts forward. Key conceptual problems addressed include the distinction between autonomy and heteronomy, the nature of the self and self-creation, and the nature of determination in a fundamentally indeterminate universe.

World in Fragments

World in Fragments PDF Author: Cornelius Castoriadis
Publisher: Stanford University Press
ISBN: 9780804727631
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 556

Book Description
This collection presents a broad and compelling overview of the most recent work in philosophy, politics, and psychoanalysis by a world-renowned figure in contemporary thought.

Cornelius Castoriadis

Cornelius Castoriadis PDF Author: Suzi Adams
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 1441169148
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 249

Book Description
Cornelius Castoriadis (1922-1997) was a Greek-French thinker best known for his work on 'autonomy' and 'human creation'. He was a political activist, psychoanalyst, philosopher, political and social thinker and economist. Recognised as a significant and original thinker of the twentieth century, his work is receiving increased scholarly attention. Notwithstanding the richness of his work, Castoriadis's terminology can prove challenging to understand. Cornelius Castoriadis: Key Concepts is the first book of its kind, providing readers with a road map to the fundamentals of his thought. International specialists in Castoriadis's works introduce and clarify the complexity of his thought through the elucidation of nineteen key concepts that are fundamental to understanding - and grappling with - his ideas. Comprehensive and accessible, the entries have been carefully selected to cover the most central aspects - psychoanalysis, sociology, philosophy, politics - and periods of his thought.

Castoriadis, Foucault, and Autonomy

Castoriadis, Foucault, and Autonomy PDF Author: Marcela Tovar-Restrepo
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1441152261
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 229

Book Description
This book examines Cornelius Castoriadis' thought and the radical alternative it presents to the legacy of Michel Foucault, focusing on three key notions that are central in both scholars' theories: the subject, the production of social meaning and representation, and social/cultural change. Castoriadis and Foucault faced similar theoretical and political challenges and tackled common questions, yet their conclusions diverged significantly. This important book establishes, for the first time, a critical dialogue between these two bodies of thought. Through a detailed exploration of the Castoridian perspective, Marcela Tovar-Restrepo addresses the limitations of Foucault's poststructuralist thought; exploring and comparing what those three central notions mean in each framework. In so doing, Tovar-Restrepo elucidates a greater understanding of their differences and the resulting consequences for the social sciences and the role of social theory. Ultimately, this book presents Castoriadis' philosophical and theoretical position as an alternative to unresolved poststructuralist problems and to what Castoriadis saw as a deterministic ontology embedded in political relativism; paving the way for an invigorating debate about autonomy and social change.

Postscript on Insignificance

Postscript on Insignificance PDF Author: Cornelius Castoriadis
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1441111107
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 160

Book Description
Cornelius Castoriadis (1922-1997) was a philosopher, social critic, political activist, practicing psychoanalyst and professional economist. His work is widely recognized as one of the most singular and important contributions to twentieth-century thought. In this collection of interviews, Castoriadis discusses some of his most important ideas with leading figures in the disciplines that play such a crucial part in his philosophical work: poetry, psychoanalysis, biology and mathematics. Available in English for the first time, these interviews provide a concise and accessible introduction to his work as a whole, allowing him to draw on the astounding breadth of his knowledge (ranging from political theory and sociology to ontology and the philosophy of science). They also render Castoriadis' cutting, polemical and entertaining style while displaying the originality and clarity of his primary concepts. Intellectually provoking, this timely collection shows how Castoriadis' polemics are sharp and riveting, his conceptual manoeuvres rigorous and original, and his passion inspiring. This is an excellent introduction to one of Europe's most important intellectuals.

Cornelius Castoriadis and Radical Democracy

Cornelius Castoriadis and Radical Democracy PDF Author: Vrasidas Karalis
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004278583
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 313

Book Description
Cornelius Castoriadis and the Project of Radical Autonomy analyses the philosophy of Greek-born French philosopher Cornelius Castoriadis. A leading member of the influential revolutionary group, Socialism or Barbarism in France, Castoriadis analysed contemporary political subjectivity and culture in terms of the collective and individual attempt to gain autonomy. His philosophy frames a multi-dimensional analysis of modern capitalist societies, based on a systematic critique of orthodox Marxism, Heideggerian ontology and Lacanian psychology. The present volume consists of two parts. In the first part, his most significant essays written before his departure to France in 1945 are translated and present young Castoriadis’ interpretation of Max Weber’s theory of bureaucratic societies. The second part consists of a series of essays by various scholars on aspects of Castoriadis’ mature philosophy in relation to other thinkers, and against the background of Europe’s political and social history.

Freedom After the Critique of Foundations

Freedom After the Critique of Foundations PDF Author: A. Kioupkiolis
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 1137029625
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 263

Book Description
An exploration of the contemporary re-conception of freedom after the critique of objective truths and ideas of an unchanging human nature, in which modern self-determination was grounded. This book focuses on the radical theorist Cornelius Castoriadis and the new paradigm of 'agonistic autonomy' is contrasted with Marxian and liberal approaches.