Key Contemporary Concepts: From Abjection to Zeno's Paradox

by John Lechte

Overview

'A book which all students of the human sciences will find useful, both for its range of engagements and its pedagogic ambitions. To be read and to be enjoyed' - Nigel Thrift, University of Bristol

This book is the essential roadmap to the key concepts which frame our understanding of society and culture. From cybernetics to quantum theory, from ideology to power, from aesthetics to mimesis, this book spans a range of disciplines to provide an insight into the current scientific and intellectual state of society. Written by the author of the international bestseller Fifty Key Contemporary Thinkers (Routledge, 1994) this ambitious pedagogical and intellectual project dazzles with insight and the breadth of knowledge presented.

Each entry provides a history and current meaning of the concept in question. It then outlines its place in the work of a key author, while also offering an interpretation of the term's significance, both current and classical. Concepts are organized in alphabetical order, complete with references for further research, making this the essential reference for students throughout the social sciences and humanities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761965350
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	02/24/2003
Series:	SAGE Key Concepts Series
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	222
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 9.53(h) x (d)

About the Author

John Lechte is Professor in Sociology at Macquarie University, where he has responsibility for Graduate teaching and research. He has written widely on European philosophy and the image, including the work of Julia Kristeva and Georges Bataille. He has just published a key work on the image, Genealogy and Ontology of the Western Image and its Digital Future (2012), and is currently working on the human and the image. With Saul Newman, he will publish, in 2013, Agamben and the Politics of Human Rights: Statelessness, Images, Violence.

Table of Contents

A Note on the Text
Introduction
A Abjection Aesthetics Alienation Allegory Analogue Analytic-Synthetic Arbitrary Atonality
B Beauty Being Biotechnology Blasé Body
C Chance Clone Code Communication Community Complexity Culture Cybernetics Cyberspace Cyborg
D Deconstruction Dictionary-Encyclopedia Diegesis Différance Difference-Individuality Differend Digital
E Economy Encyclopedia (see Dictionary-Encyclopedia) Entropy Epistemology Eros-Eroticism Event Exchange
F Family Fantasy / Phantasy Fantasm Fractal Freedom Fuzzy Logic
G General Will Gift Globalisation Governmentality Grammatology
H Habitus History
I Icon Identification Identity Ideology Image Imaginary Imagination Immanent/Immanence-Transcendent / Transcendence Index Information Interpretation
J Justice
K Klanfarbenmelodie Knowledge
L Labour-power Legitimacy Life Local Logos-Mythos Love
M Memory Metaphor Metaphysics Mimesis Modernity Money Montage Mythos (see Logos-Mythos)
N Necessity Network Nihilism
O Object Ontology Other
P Panopticon Phantasy / Phantasm (see Fantasy / Fantasm) Pixel Postmodernity Power Profane (see Sacred-Profane)
Q Quantum
R Responsibility Ressentiment Rhizome Risk-Society
S Sacred-Profane Semiotic Sign: Signifier/Signified Simulacrum Spectacle Subject Synthetic (see Analytical-Synthetic)
T Technics Theory Thermodynamics Time Transcendence (see Immanent/Immanence / Transcendent / Transcendence) Truth
U Unconscious Universal
V Value Virtual (see Cyberspace) Virus, W Work Writing
X Xenophobia, Z Zeno's Paradox

Editorial Reviews

'A book which all students of the human sciences will find useful, both for its range of engagements and its pedagogic ambitions. The book is best thought of as a cabinet full of the theoretical curiosities of the modern age, able to be dipped in to and out of at will. And, like a cabinet of curiosities, it is not just a repository of knowledge but, also, in the very best sense, an entertainment. To be read and to be enjoyed.’ Nigel Thrift, University of Bristol

From the Publisher