Contemporary French Philosophy: Modernity and the Persistence of the Subject (Continuum Collection)

Contemporary French Philosophy: Modernity and the Persistence of the Subject (Continuum Collection)
Caroline Williams | 2005-12-01 00:00:00 | Continuum | 272 | Philosophy
French philosophy and cultural theory continue to hold a prestigious and influential position in European thought. One of the central themes of contemporary French philosophy is its concern with the theoretical and political status of the subject, a question which has been broached by structuralists and poststructuralists through an analysis of the construction of the subject in and by language, discourse, power and ideology. Contemporary French Philosophy outlines the construction of the subject in modern philosophy, focusing in particular on the seminal work of Althusser, Lacan, Derrida and Foucault. The book interrogates some of the most influential perspectives on the question of the subject to contest those postmodern voices which announce its disappearance or death. It argues instead that the question of the subject persists, even in those perspectives which seek to abandon it altogether. Providing a broad introduction to the field and an original analysis of some of the most influential theorists of the 20th Century, the book will be of great interest to political and literary theorists, cultural historians, as well as to philosophers.
Reviews
An ambitious but successful project. This critical overview of contemporary french thought focuses on the continuing role of the subject and traces the overlap and the distance between the theories of Althusser, Lacan, Derrida, Foucault and situates them in relation to the thought of Spinoza, Hegel and brings in the works of many other contemporary figures. This study is great for bringing out key themes in an instructive and critical manner, especially for the student who is advanced in philosophy but lacks specialized knowledge in this area of thought. A great introduction into current debates on subjectivity, the unconscious, language and social structures, etc... and surely of interest to those with a deeper background as well.

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