Badiou
A Philosophy of the New
Key Contemporary Thinkers

1. Edition February 2010
224 Pages, Hardcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Short Description
Alain Badiou is one of the leading philosophers in the world today. His ground-breaking philosophy is based on a creative reading of set theory, offering a new understanding of what it means to be human by promoting an "intelligence of change". Badiou's philosophical system makes our capacity for revolution and novelty central to who we are, and develops an ethical position that aims to make us less anxious about this very capacity.
This book presents a comprehensive and engaging account of Badiou's philosophy, including an in-depth discussion of The Theory of the Subject, Being and Event and Logics of Worlds. In a clear and careful analysis, Ed Pluth considers exactly how Badiou's theoretical "anti-humanism" is linked up to what is, for all intents and purposes, a practical humanism. Central to this is an account of Badiou's theory of the subject, and his attempt to develop an "ethic of truths". The role of set theory, Marxism, and Lacanian psychoanalysis in Badiou's philosophy is also given close attention.
This book will be of interest to students and scholars of philosophy, as well as to all those keen to develop a critical understanding of one of the most controversial and important thinkers of the twentieth century.
Alain Badiou is one of the leading philosophers in the world today. His ground-breaking philosophy is based on a creative reading of set theory, offering a new understanding of what it means to be human by promoting an "intelligence of change". Badiou's philosophical system makes our capacity for revolution and novelty central to who we are, and develops an ethical position that aims to make us less anxious about this very capacity.
This book presents a comprehensive and engaging account of Badiou's philosophy, including an in-depth discussion of The Theory of the Subject, Being and Event and Logics of Worlds. In a clear and careful analysis, Ed Pluth considers exactly how Badiou's theoretical "anti-humanism" is linked up to what is, for all intents and purposes, a practical humanism. Central to this is an account of Badiou's theory of the subject, and his attempt to develop an "ethic of truths". The role of set theory, Marxism, and Lacanian psychoanalysis in Badiou's philosophy is also given close attention.
This book will be of interest to students and scholars of philosophy, as well as to all those keen to develop a critical understanding of one of the most controversial and important thinkers of the twentieth century.
* 1 Badiou's Philosophical Background
* 2 Being and Event
* 3 Situations and Events
* 4 Logics of Worlds
* 5 Infinity and Truth
* 6 Badiou's Theories of the Subject
* 7 Ethics and Affects
* 8 Politics
* Conclusion
Alberto Toscano, Goldsmiths, University of London
"This book is a clear-eyed walk straight to the heart of Badiou's philosophy - all dross is eliminated in the pursuit of a single, astounding, idea: that if we do not take the risk of being faithful to a truth, we guarantee ourselves inhuman lives. Pluth has not only introduced Badiou's philosophy, he has crystallized it."
Oliver Feltham, American University of Paris