The Imaginary Institution of Society

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MIT Press, 1997 - History - 418 pages
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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.

 

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The imaginary institution of society

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Thirty years ago Castoriadis founded the French journal Socialisme ou Barbarie, the title of which stated the alternatives he then saw confronting capitalism. Like Bruno Rizzi, James Burnham, and ... Read full review

Contents

Preface
1
A Provisional Assessment
9
Marxist Theory of History
15
reason
45
The Two Elements of Marxism and their Historical
56
Theory and Revolutionary Project
71
A First Approach
115
The SocialHistorical
167
Historical
215
Legein and Teukhein
221
Individuals and Things
273
Social Imaginary Significations
340
Notes
374
Index
405
Copyright

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The Imaginary Institution of Society
Cornelius Castoriadis
No preview available - 1997

Common terms and phrases

able activity actual already appears aspect attempt autonomy become belong capitalism capitalist classes complete conception concerning condition considered constituted continue created creation defined definition desire determined discourse distinct economic effects elements emergence entire essential established everything example exist expression extent fact figures finally forces function give given human idea identitary identity imaginary imagination important impossible individual institution knowledge language laws legein living logic manner Marx Marxism material matter means mode namely nature necessarily needs never object once operation organization origin particular philosophy posited possible precisely present problem production psyche pure question radical rational reality reason refers relation remains representation representative requirement respect result sense separate significations simply situation social social-historical society speak specific structure symbolic teukhein theory things thought transformation true unconscious understand

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About the author (1997)

Cornelius Castoriadis (1922-1997) was a Greek-French philosopher, economist and psychoanalyst. Author of the The Imaginary Institution of Society, co-founder of the Socialisme ou Barbarie group and "philosopher of autonomy."

Bibliographic information

QR code for The Imaginary Institution of Society
TitleThe Imaginary Institution of Society
Mit Press
AuthorCornelius Castoriadis
Editionillustrated, reprint
PublisherMIT Press, 1997
ISBN0262531550, 9780262531559
Length418 pages
Subjects ›  › 

History / Historiography
Political Science / Political Ideologies / Communism, Post-Communism & Socialism
  
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