The Castoriadis Reader

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 practising psychoanalyst who is considered one of Europe's foremost thinkers.

Through such works as The Imaginary Institution of Society, Crossroads in the Labyrinth, Political and Social Writings (3 vols.), Philosophy, Politics, Autonomy, and World in Fragments, he has renovated social thought and exerted a profound influence on the twentieth century.

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 totalitarianism and "modern capitalism" in the West paved the way for an alternative left-wing politics and inspired the 1968 student-worker rebellion in France.

The book delves into the development of ideas such as a "project of autonomy" and "the imaginary institution of society". It includes a representative selection of recent texts on ecology, aesthetics, the "crisis of Western Societies", the "radical imagination", and 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 revolutionising of thought and society over the past five decades. His foreword and a thorough listing of Castoriadis's major texts provide the reader with the necessary background for further explorations.