To what degree can the philosophy of Cornelius Castoriadis help analyze and evaluate our current social reality in relation to the project of autonomy? How meaningful is his political proposition for direct democracy in the twenty-first century? What significance do the concepts of social time and social space have in the determination of political freedom?
Castoriadis and Autonomy in the Twenty-First Century presents basic concepts of Castoriadian philosophy, including the social-historical field, ontological creativity, and social and individual time. It is the first book of its kind to apply these concepts to the phenomena of our era such as coronavirus, climate change, the rise of the far-right, digital technology, and more. Drawing from Greece’s own turbulent past and concurrent global crises to reveal new significances of social freedom, global solidarity, and movements of direct democracy, this book explores possibilities—beyond the heteronomies of economic growth and the Western Imaginary—for social autonomy and human freedom through critical dialogue with Castoriadis’s ideas.
“A brilliant and lively engagement with one of the great social theorists of the twentieth century. Even today, Castoriadis’s groundbreaking reflections on autonomy still point towards unexpected pathways out of a global crisis. In this decisive moment, Schismenos, Ioannou, and Spannos cogently demonstrate why his work remains more relevant than ever.”JEROME ROOS, FELLOW IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY, THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE, UK
“This is a vigorous and thought-provoking book, exploring original ways of linking Castoriadis’s work to the politics of the early twenty-first century.”JOHANN P. ARNASON, EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF SOCIOLOGY, LA TROBE UNIVERSITY, AUSTRALIA AND CHARLES UNIVERSITY, CZECH REPUBLIC
“Cornelius Castoriadis was one of the most original critical thinkers of the second half of the twentieth century. This book is an ambitious and intriguing attempt to understand the current global constellation through Castoriadis’s political philosophy of autonomy—a rich and thought-provoking reading.”PETER WAGNER, RESEARCH PROFESSOR OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, ICREA AND UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA, SPAIN
Alexandros was born in Athens, Greece, 1978. He holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy and has authored four books in Greek and several articles regarding social autonomy and political philosophy. He has participated in social and ecological movements since the late 1990s.
Nikos was born in Agrinio, Greece, 1964. He practices and teaches carpentry. He is the co-author of two books in Greek and several articles regarding contemporary politics. He has been a social and ecological activist since the late 1970s.
Chris was born in Los Angeles, California, United States, 1976. He has been researching and writing about social movements and autonomy for more than two decades. He was founder and editor of The New Significance from 2010 to 2014, a web magazine covering social change in the twenty-first century.
Castoriadis and Autonomy in the Twenty-First Century is scheduled for publication 14th January 2021 and is currently available for pre-order directly from Bloomsbury. Hardback, EPUB/MOBI, and PDF formats are available. A Paperback edition is forthcoming June 2021.
Watch the latest podcasts here. View all podcasts.
In Episode 1 we discuss the concepts of Autonomy, Heteronomy and Barbarism.
In Episode 2 we discuss Democracy, Tragedy, The Revolutionary Project, Public Space and Public Time.
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