Zizek: A Critical Introduction

Key Contemporary Thinkers (Polity)

by Sarah Kay

Žižek is hailed as the most significant interdisciplinary thinker of modern times. His work is a powerful, often explosive combination of Lacanian psychoanalysis and philosophy which tests key psychoanalytical concepts against the ideas of major European thinkers, especially Hegel. It has ignited enthusiasm and stimulated new approaches across a vast range of disciplines, and seems to be attracting an ever-growing readership. In part, this is because Žižek himself has a panoramic range of interests encompassing film studies, literature, cyber culture, ethics, theology and, above all, politics. It is also because he is a highly entertaining writer, having a flair for anecdote, a smutty sense of humour and the knack of capturing complex ideas in concrete form.
Sarah Kay’s book provides a lucid and comprehensive introduction to Žižek’s work. His writings to date are presented and evaluated here for the first time, together with an outline of their development and explanations of his key premises, themes and terms. This book will be essential reading for students of cultural studies, literary studies, philosophy and social and political theory.

Genres: Philosophy

208 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2003

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zizek takes a critical look at pornography, the X-Files, David Lynch, and how different cultures are reflected in the way their waste drops into the toilet. I wouldn't necessarily recommend the book, but there is a documentary about him and also a 3-part special called A Pervert's Guide to the Cinema in which he psychoanalyzes a lot of movies. He is a fresh voice in philosophy in that he ridicules the snobbish and esoteric nature of most theorists and instead focuses on popular culture and how it is just as or more important than all that other junk that philosophers tend to focus on.

[Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed and constructive rather than only being critical. Much better than the other.

[Marvin Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite having read most Zizek's work prior, I decided to purchase this book mostly to for the sympathetic Woman perspective. Despite what you may think of Zizek it is fair to say that Sarah Kay gets him and does an excellent job at contexualizing him in the fields of Lacanian Psychoanalysis, German Idealism and contemporary philosophical debates.

[Melissa Engberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I know people dig this guy. He reminds me of a first-year grad student, full of contrarian bs and high-minded notions about what the dead white men were REALLY talking about.