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Žižek's The Sublime Object of Ideology: A Reader’s Guide
First published in 1989, The Sublime Object of Ideology was Žižek's breakthrough work, and is still regarded by many as his masterpiece. It was an iconoclastic reinvention of ideology critique that introduced the English-speaking world to Žižek's scorching brand of cultural and philosophical commentary and the multifaceted ways in which he explained it. Tying together concepts from aesthetics, psychoanalytic theory, cultural studies and the philosophy of belief, it changed the face of contemporary commentary and remains the underpinning of much of his subsequent thinking.
This compelling guide introduces all of the influential thinkers and foundational concepts which Žižek draws on to create this seminal work. Grounding the text's many and varied references in the work of Peter Sloterdijk, Saul Kripke, Walter Benjamin, Jacques Lacan, Jacques Derrida, Immanuel Kant and G.W.F. Hegel, amongst others, helps students who are encountering this mercurial writer for the first time to understand the philosophical context of his early explorations. Each of Žižek's key arguments are unpacked and laid out, alongside an invaluable account of how The Sublime Object of Ideology impacted the critical terrain on which it landed.
This compelling guide introduces all of the influential thinkers and foundational concepts which Žižek draws on to create this seminal work. Grounding the text's many and varied references in the work of Peter Sloterdijk, Saul Kripke, Walter Benjamin, Jacques Lacan, Jacques Derrida, Immanuel Kant and G.W.F. Hegel, amongst others, helps students who are encountering this mercurial writer for the first time to understand the philosophical context of his early explorations. Each of Žižek's key arguments are unpacked and laid out, alongside an invaluable account of how The Sublime Object of Ideology impacted the critical terrain on which it landed.
176 pages, Paperback
Published June 27, 2024
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
June 15, 2026
Pretty helpful even for those familiar with Lacan and Hegel. There are sections of SOI that get lost in its own jargon under several layers of metaphor as a single point is argued over dozens of pages from many different angles, using analogies in media that are sometimes less than helpful.
This companion guide states what Zizek wants to say but doesn't. Zizek clearly adheres to the Lacanian obscurantism, especially when a particular Lacanian term (such as the Real) he's describing would not stand by its own description if stated in simple terms. On top of this, Zizek does not define his jargon, he shows what it means, but his descriptions sometimes miss the mark. This companion clears that up quite well.
This companion guide states what Zizek wants to say but doesn't. Zizek clearly adheres to the Lacanian obscurantism, especially when a particular Lacanian term (such as the Real) he's describing would not stand by its own description if stated in simple terms. On top of this, Zizek does not define his jargon, he shows what it means, but his descriptions sometimes miss the mark. This companion clears that up quite well.
Displaying 1 of 1 review