Slavoj Zizek is undoubtedly one of the world's leading cultural critics. His witty, psychoanalytically-inspired analyses of contemporary society have almost single-handedly revived the notion of ideology. His brilliant commentaries on the French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan and the 19th century German Idealists have brought alive their often difficult ideas for a new generation of readers. But does Zizek have anything to say in his own right? Is there a system of thought that we can properly call "Zizekian"? This book argues that there is, through a reading of two terms in his work - the master-signifier and the act. Featuring an interview with Zizek himself, Slavoj Zizek: Live Theory presents a snapshot of the Zizek system ideal for undergraduates in social and cultural theory and philosophy.
Author Biography
Rex Butler is Senior Lecturer in the Department of English, Media Studies and Art History at the University of Queensland and author of Jean Baudrillard: The Defence of the Real.
