About the Book
Henri Lefebvre is widely recognized as one of the most influential social theorists of the Twentieth Century. His writings on cities, everyday life, and the production of space have become hugely influential across Cultural Studies, Sociology, Geography and Architecture. Key Writings presents the full range of Lefebvre's thought in a single volume. The selection of essays spanning 1933 to 1990, reinforce the relevance of Lefebvre's work to current debates in social theory, politics and philosophy. The book is divided into five sections: ‘Philosophy and Marxism’, ‘The Critique of Everyday Life’, ‘The Country and the City’ ‘History, Time and Space’ and ‘Politics’ and includes a general introduction by the editors as well as separate introductions to each section.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements
Introduction: Coming to Terms with Lefbvre- Stuart Elden and
Elizabeth Lebas
Marxism and Philosophy
Introduction - Stuart Elden
Retrospections (from L 'Existentialisme, 1946)
Unity of the Doctrine (from Dialectical Materialism, 1939)
Prolegomenas (from Metaphilosophie, 1965)
Marxian Thought and Sociology (from The Sociology of Marx, 1966)
Beyond Structuralism (from Au-de/a du structuralisme, 1971)
Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche (from Hegel, Marx, Nietzsche ou le royaume des ombres, 1975)
Triads and Dyads (from La Presence et L'absence, 1980)
Twelve Theses on Logic and Dialectic (from Logique formelle, logique dialectique, 3rd edn, 1982)
State (from Le Retour de La dialectique, 1986)
Becoming and the Historical (from Le Retour de la dialectique, 1986)
The Critique of Everyday Life
Introduction- Elizabeth Lebas
Mystification: Notes for a Critique of Everyday Life (Henri Lefebvre and Norbert Guterman, Avant Poste, 2 [1933])
Elucidations (from Critique de La vie quotidienne II: Fondements d'une sociologie de La quotidiennete, 1961)
The Social Text (from Critique de la vie quotidienne II: Fondements d'une sociologie de la quotidiennete, 1961)
The End of Modernity? (from Critique de La vie quotidienne Ill: De fa modernite au modernisme (Pour une metaphilosophie du quotidien), 1981)
On Vulgarity (from Critique de Ia vie quotidienne IlL De la modernite au modernisme (Pour une mhaphilosophie du quotidien), 1981)
Myths in Everyday Life (from Cahiers Internationaux de Sociologie, XXXIII (1962))
The Country and the City
Introduction- Eleonore Kofman
Perspectives on Rural Sociology (from Cahiers Internationaux de Sociologie, XIV (1953))
Preface to the Study of the Habitat of the 'Pavilion' (from L 'Habitat Pavillonnaire, 1966)
Levels and Dimensions (from La Revolution urbaine, 1970)
The Other Parises (from Espaces et Societes, 13/14 (1974-5)
History, Time and Space
Introduction - Stuart Elden
The Inventory (from La Somme et le reste, 1959)
Time and History (from La Fin de l'histoire, 1970)
The Style of the Commune (from La Proclamation de La commune, 1965)
The Rhythmanalytical Project (Henri Lefebvre and Catherine Regulier, Communications, 41 (1985))
The Worldwide Experience (from De l'Etat, Vol IV, 1978)
Preface to the New Edition (from La Production de l'espace, 3rd edn, 1986)
Politics
Introduction - Elizabeth Lebas
Nation and Culture (from Norbert Guterman and Henri Lefebvre, La Conscience mystifiee, 1936)
Between Yourself and You (from Norbert Guterman and Henri Lefebvre, La Conscience mystifiee, 1936)
Being a Communist (from La Somme et le reste, 1959)
From the Social Pact to the Contract of Citizenship (from Du Contrat de citoyennete, 1990)
Some Questions About Asking Questions (from M: Marxisme, Mensuel, Mouvement, 7 (Janvier 1987))
Notes
Index
About the Author :
Henri Lefebvre (1901-91) was a French Marxist sociologist, intellectual and philosopher. He held a range of academic posts both in France and America and is the author of Rythmanalysis (1992) and Everyday Life in the Modern World (1968), both published in the Bloomsbury Revelations series.
Review :
A wide-angle snapshot of an entire itinerary, the earliest from 1933, the latest from 1990. This volume's richness is undeniable.
