The Castoriadis Reader
Blackwell Readers

1. Edition May 1997
500 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
ISBN:
978-1-55786-704-9
John Wiley & Sons
Cornelius Castoriadis is presently Director of Studies at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris. He is a philosopher, social critic, professional economist, practicing psychoanalyst and one of Europe's foremost thinkers. The Castoriadis Reader provides for the first time an overview of the author's work and encompasses every aspect of his thought.
Foreword vii
Acknowledgements xvi
Abbreviations xviii
1.'The Only Way to Find out If You Can Swim Is to Get into the Water': An Introductory Interview (1974) 1
2. Presentation of Socialisme ou Barbarie: An Organ of Critique and Revolutionary Orientation (1949) 35
3. On the Content of Socialism (1955-1957): Excerpts 40
From the Critique of Bureaucracy to the Idea of the Proletariat's Autonomy (1955) 40
On the Content of Socialism, II (1957) 49
4. Recommencing the Revolution (1964) 106
5. Marxism and Revolutionary Theory (1964-65). Excerpts 139
Marxism: A Provisional Assessment 139
Theory and Revolutionary Project 146
6. The Social Imaginary and the Institution (1975). Excerpt. The Social-Historical 196
7. The Social Regime in Russia (1978) 218
8. From Ecology to Autonomy (1980) 239
9. The Crisis of Western Societies (1982) 253
10. The Greek Polis and the Creation of Democracy (1983) 267
11. The Logic of Magmas and the Question of Autonomy (1983) 290
12. Radical Imagination and the Social Instituting Imaginary (1994) 319
13. Culture in a Democratic Society (1994) 338
14. Psychoanalysis and Philosophy (1996) 349
15. Done and To Be Done (1989) 361
Index 418
Acknowledgements xvi
Abbreviations xviii
1.'The Only Way to Find out If You Can Swim Is to Get into the Water': An Introductory Interview (1974) 1
2. Presentation of Socialisme ou Barbarie: An Organ of Critique and Revolutionary Orientation (1949) 35
3. On the Content of Socialism (1955-1957): Excerpts 40
From the Critique of Bureaucracy to the Idea of the Proletariat's Autonomy (1955) 40
On the Content of Socialism, II (1957) 49
4. Recommencing the Revolution (1964) 106
5. Marxism and Revolutionary Theory (1964-65). Excerpts 139
Marxism: A Provisional Assessment 139
Theory and Revolutionary Project 146
6. The Social Imaginary and the Institution (1975). Excerpt. The Social-Historical 196
7. The Social Regime in Russia (1978) 218
8. From Ecology to Autonomy (1980) 239
9. The Crisis of Western Societies (1982) 253
10. The Greek Polis and the Creation of Democracy (1983) 267
11. The Logic of Magmas and the Question of Autonomy (1983) 290
12. Radical Imagination and the Social Instituting Imaginary (1994) 319
13. Culture in a Democratic Society (1994) 338
14. Psychoanalysis and Philosophy (1996) 349
15. Done and To Be Done (1989) 361
Index 418
"The Castoriadis Reader, with representative extracts from
almost fifty years of political and philosophical writing, reflects
his long march from Marx back to Aristotle." Scott McLemmee,
Lingua Franca
"When so many pay superficial tribute to false prophets, how
much better to pay serious attention to this true thinker."
Nicolas Walter, New Statesman
"For those unfamiliar with the thought of Castoriadis, reading
his works for the first time is to encounter one of the most
original and creative figures of the last half of the twentieth
century." David Wallace, Topia
almost fifty years of political and philosophical writing, reflects
his long march from Marx back to Aristotle." Scott McLemmee,
Lingua Franca
"When so many pay superficial tribute to false prophets, how
much better to pay serious attention to this true thinker."
Nicolas Walter, New Statesman
"For those unfamiliar with the thought of Castoriadis, reading
his works for the first time is to encounter one of the most
original and creative figures of the last half of the twentieth
century." David Wallace, Topia
David Ames Curtis is an independent translator and writer. He is based in Paris.