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.
Table of Contents:
Acknowledgements \ Editor's Introduction: Eros of Inquiry - An Aperçu of Castoriadis' Life and Work Gabriel Rockhill \ Part I: Postscript on Insignificance \ Preface: Cornelius, Essential Dissident \ 1. No God, No Caesar, No Tribune!... Cornelius Castoriadis Interviewed by David Mermet \ Part II: Dialogues \ Preface: Introduction to Discussants \ 2. Rejoinders: Facing Modernity Cornelius Castoriadis in Dialogue with Octavio Paz \ 3. The Meaning of Psychoanalysis Cornelius Castoriadis in Dialogue with Jean-Luc Donnet \ 4. Life and Creation Cornelius Castoriadis in Dialogue with Francisco Varela \ 5. The Limits of Formalization Cornelius Castoriadis in Dialogue with Alain Connes \ 6. Breaking the Closure Cornelius Castoriadis in Dialogue with Robert Legros \ Selected Bibliography of Castoriadis' Books in English \ Index.
About the Author :
Cornelius Castoriadis (1922-1997) was a Greek-French philosopher, economist and psychoanalyst. He taught at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris and is best known for The Imaginary Institution of Society (trans. Kathleen Blamey, MIT Press, 1998). He is widely recognized as one of the foremost European thinkers of the twentieth century.
Gabriel Rockhill is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Villanova University, USA. He also teaches at the Centre Parisien d'Etudes Critiques and the Collège International de Philosophie, France. He is the author of Logique de l'histoire: Pour une analytique des pratiques philosophiques (Editions Hermann, 2010) and Pour un historicisme radical: Entre esthétique et politique avec Rancière (Editions du Sandre, forthcoming).
Review :
Reviewed in Identities: Journal for Politics, Gender and Culture Vol. 8/ No. 2/ Summer 2011.
