Understanding poststructuralism / James Williams.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Williams, James, 1965-

Series:

Understanding movements in modern thought

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Poststructuralism.

Physical Description:

ix, 180 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Chesham, Bucks : Acumen Pub., 2005.

Summary:

Understanding Poststructuralism is a lucid guide to some of the most exciting and controversial ideas in contemporary thought. James Williams examines the key works of the movement's most important theorists - Foucault, Derrida, Kristeva, Lyotard, and Deleuze - providing detailed summaries of their main points and a critical analysis of their core arguments. In jargon-free prose, he explains such ideas as deconstruction, libidinal economics, genealogy, and transcendental empiricism in terms of their value to critical thinking and to contemporary issues. Although a sympathetic interpreter of poststructuralism, Williams does not dismiss the criticism of analytic philosophers but provides a much-needed balanced assessment of this movement.

Contents:

Introduction: what is poststructuralism?

Poststructuralism as deconstruction: Jacques Derrida's Of grammatology

Poststructuralism as philosophy of difference: Gilles Deleuze's Difference and repetition

Poststructuralism as philosophy of the event: Lyotard's Discours, figure

Poststructuralism, history, genealogy: Michel Foucault's The archaeology of knowledge

Poststructuralism, psychoanalysis, linguistics: Julia Kristeva's Revolution in poetic language

Poststructuralism into the future

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 171-173) and index.

ISBN:

1844650324

9781844650323

1844650332

9781844650330

OCLC:

61529135