Yannis Stavrakakis

The author clearly examines Jacques Lacan's challenging views on time, history, language, alterity, desire and sexuality from a political standpoint, and overviews the social and political implications of Lacan's work as a whole.

Lacan and the Political

The emerging field of psychoanalytic political theory has now reached a stage in its development and rapid evolution that deserves to be registered, systematically defined, and critically evaluated. This handbook provides the first reference volume which showcases the current state of psychoanalytic political theory, maps the genealogy of its development, identifies its conceptual and methodological resources, and highlights its analytical innovations as well as its critical promise. The handbook consists of 35 chapters, offering original, comprehensive, and critical reviews of this field of study. The chapters are divided into five thematic sections: • The figures section discusses the work of major psychoanalytic theorists who have considerably influenced the development of psychoanalytic political theory. • The traditions section genealogically recounts and critically reassesses the many attempts throughout the 20th century of experimenting with the articulation between psychoanalysis and political theory in a consistent way. • The concepts section asks what are the concepts that psychoanalysis offers for appropriation by political theory. • The themes section presents concrete examples of how psychoanalytic political theory can be productively applied in the analysis of racism, gender, nationalism, consumerism, and so on. • The challenges/controversies section captures how psychoanalytic political theory can lead the way towards theoretical and analytical innovation in many disciplinary fields that deal with cutting-edge issues. The Routledge Handbook of Psychoanalytic Political Theory will serve as a scholarly reference volume for all students and researchers studying political theory, psychoanalysis, and the history of ideas.

Routledge Handbook of Psychoanalytic Political Theory

In recent years psychoanalysis - especially Lacanian theory - has been gradually acknowledged as a vital resource in the ongoing re-orientation of contemporary political theory and analysis. Of particular note is that the work of Jacques Lacan is increasingly being used by major political philosophers associated with the Left. This indicates the dynamic emergence of a new theoretico-political horizon: that of the 'Lacanian Left'. However, this has yet to be properly conceived and structured as a field. The Lacanian Left is the first book to bring it into academic consciousness and to draw its implications for concrete political analysis in a systematic way. It offers: An accessible mapping of its main contours. A detailed examination of the points of convergence and divergence between the major figures active or at the periphery of this terrain, including Slavoj h the central Lacanian notion of 'enjoyment', The Lacanian Left puts forward innovative analyses of political power and authority, nationalism, European identity, consumerism and advertising culture, de-democratisation and post-democracy. It will be of value to everyone interested in exploring the potential of psychoanalysis to reinvigorate political theory, critical political analysis and democratic politics.

Psychoanalysis, Theory, Politics

Lacanian Left

Innovative exploration of the relationship of Lacanian psychoanalysis to political and democratic theory.

Essays on Psychoanalysis and Politics

The Lacanian Left

David J. Howarth

David R. Howarth

Aletta J. Norval

How can recent developments in post-structuralist, post-Marxist, and psychoanalytical theory actually inform ongoing empirical research? What are the appropriate methods and research strategies for conducting research in discourse theory and analysis? How can concepts such as hegemony, identity, the imaginary, dislocation, and empty signifiers illuminate key aspects of contemporary society and politics? This pathbreaking and multi-focal book contains a clear introductory statement of the theoretical approach used, and concludes with an assessment of the future directions of discourse theory in the social sciences.

Identities, Hegemonies and Social Change

Discourse Theory and Political Analysis

The work of Jacques Lacan is second only to Freud in its impact on psychoanalysis. Yannis Stavrakakis clearly examines Lacan's challenging views on time, history, language, alterity, desire and sexuality from a political standpoint. It is the first book to provide an overview of the social and political implications of Lacan's work as a whole for students coming to Lacan for the first time. The first part of Lacan and the Political offers a straightforward and systematic assessment of the importance of Lacan's categories and theoretical constructions for concrete political analysis. The second half of the book applies Lacanian theory to specific examples of widely discussed political issues, such as Green ideology, the question of democracy and the hegemony of advertising in contemporary culture.

Yannis Stavrakakis

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