Modern Critical Thought

An anthology that presents a series of texts in which major twentieth-century thinkers engage in dialogue with their predecessors. It offers a way into understanding modern critical thought. It covers the period from Marx onwards. Most of the major twentieth-century thinkers develop their thought through critical dialogues with their predecessors. This anthology brings together a selection of these dialogues, offering a fresh approach to modern critical thought from Marx through to the present day. The essays, lectures and reviews featured in this volume represent thinkers from Lukács and Heidegger to Judith Butler and Slavoj Žižek. Often at their most accessible introducing their own key influences and predecessors, these writings therefore provide an ideal way into the traditions of modern critical thought and into their own more difficult writings. As the reader proceeds through the book, the pieces build into a series of overlapping conversations and arguments, spanning different generations and crossing boundaries between French, German and English thought. The book offers an invaluable introduction to traditions of Marxist critical theory, phenomenology, psychoanalysis, post-structuralism and post-modern discourse. The anthology opens with an introductory essay in which the editor introduces key critical terms and maps out the contested terrain of criticism and critique implicit in the choice of particular works. He also introduces each text with contextualizing notes and suggestions for further reading. This anthology presents a series of texts in which major twentieth-century thinkers engage in dialogue with their predecessors. Presents a series of texts in which major twentieth-century thinkers engage in dialogue with their predecessors. Offers an innovative way into understanding modern critical thought. Spans the period from Marx to the present day. A conversation of ideas emerges between one generation and the next. Editorial material defines key terms and maps out contested terrain. Each piece is prefaced by contextualising notes and suggestions for further reading.