Cornelius Castoriadis: Key Concepts

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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 Castoriadiss 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.

Reviews

This volume provides a helpful and detailed introduction to the main concepts developed by Castoriadis in Imaginary Institution of Society ... It is perhaps stronger on the philosophy than on the Marxism, but that may also be a reflection of the great intellectual distances traversed in the work of this intriguing polymath. -- Carol Atack * Marx and Philosophy Review of Books *
Cornelius Castoriadis was possibly the most imaginative and innovative critical thinker of the second half of the twentieth century. His comprehensive thought opened new avenues in social philosophy, social and political theory and in the critical diagnosis of the time. It constitutes a key resource in understanding our present. Only in parts translated from French and of a fragmentary nature, however, Castoriadis's work is not as widely known and used as it should be. This important book will make access to this important thinker much easier from now on. Written by those current scholars who know Castoriadis's thought best, it provides the best introduction to his work and will be a key reference from now on. -- Peter Wagner, Research Professor, ICREA and University of Barcelona, Spain

Author Bio

Suzi Adams is Senior Lecturer in Social Theory and Sociology at Flinders University, Australia.