Böcker i Key Contemporary Thinkers-serien

If the logic of the Oedipus myth were subjected to rigorous and thoroughgoing analysis with the tools of anthropology, comparative mythology, and narratology, might it invalidate the approach to the 'Oedipus complex' that Freud derived from his psychoanalytic experience? This book answers 'yes', arguing that instead of the Oedipus complex explaining the myth, the Oedipus myth explains the complex. The author argues that the Oedipus myth is an historical anomaly, a myth of failed royal investiture or of avoided masculine initiation. Does this mean that we must return to the wisdom of tradition and strike out twenty-five centuries of Oedipal history? The author knows very well that such a solution would be fantasy, and he concludes by speculating on how his analysis might contribute to a vision that has eluded Freudian psychoanalysis: how to surpass the Oedipus complex, with all the ethical consequences this would entail.

The Canadian philosopher Charles Taylor is a key figure in contemporary debates about the self and the problems of modernity. This book provides a comprehensive, critical account of Taylora s work. It succinctly reconstructs the ambitious philosophical project that unifies Taylora s diverse writings.

Bruno Latour is among the most important figures in contemporary philosophy and social science. His ethnographic studies have revolutionized our understanding of areas as diverse as science, law, politics and religion.

Robert Brandom is one of the most renowned American philosophers today, discussed widely in analytic as well as continental philosophical communities on both sides of the Atlantic.

"Michael Walzer is one of the world's most important political thinkers. In this book, Toby J. Reiner provides the most wide-ranging and up-to-date introduction to his work available. Examining Walzer's multivarious writings and work, Reiner develops an illuminating new interpretation of his thought that no political theorist can afford to miss"--

Martin Heidegger is among the most important philosophers of the Twentieth Century. Within the continental tradition, almost every great figure has been deeply influenced by his work. For this reason, a full understanding of the course of modern philosophy is impossible without at least a basic grasp of Heidegger.

Saul Kripke has been a major influence on analytic philosophy and allied fields for a half-century and more. His early masterpiece, Naming and Necessity, reversed the pattern of two centuries of philosophizing about the necessary and the contingent.

This book provides both a clear exposition and an original critique of Butlers work. It examines her core ideas, traces the development of her thought from her first book to her most recent work, assessing Butlers engagement with other key philosophies, as well as addressing the nature and impact of Butlers writing on feminist theory.

The works of Walter Benjamin (1892--1940) are widely acclaimed as being among the most original and provocative writings of twentieth--century critical thought, and have become required reading for scholars and students in a range of academic disciplines.

Stuart Hall is the leading figure in cultural studies today -- no one else has had the same influence in the shaping of the field. This book is the first full--length study of Halla s work. It examines every aspect of his work and constitutes a major critical introduction and appraisal of Halla s contribution.

Jean-Luc Nancy is one of the leading contemporary thinkers in France today. Through an inventive reappropriation of the major figures in the continental tradition, Nancy has developed an original ontology that impacts the way we think about religion, politics, community, embodiment, and art.

A study of Rawls' work, "A Theory of Justice", the book gives a concise account of Rawls' central ideas, situates them within contemporary debates and subjects them to critical scrutiny. Among the subjects covered are utilitarianism, majoritarianism and the contractarian synthesis.

In recent years there has been a renewed interest in the work of Rene Girard, thought by many to be one of the most important, if controversial, cultural theorists of the twentieth century.

* A highly original introduction to contemporary thinking about the relationship between mind and science. * This is the first comprehensive examination of Dennett's ideas on the nature of thought, consciousness, free will, and the significance of Darwinism.

John McDowell has set the philosophical world alight with a revolutionary approach to the subject, illuminating old problems with dazzling particularity. In this welcome introduction to his work, Maximilian de Gaynesford puts writing within comfortable reach of non--specialists.

This major new book offers a much-needed introduction to the work of Siegfried Kracauer, one of the main intellectual figures in the orbit of the Frankfurt School of Critical Theory.

Thomas Kuhna s shadow hangs over almost every field of intellectual inquiry. His book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions has become a modern classic. His influence on philosophy, social science, historiography, feminism, theology, and (of course) the natural sciences themselves is unparalleled.

This is the first full--scale study of the work of Clifford Geertz, who is one of the best--known anthropologists in the world today. In a lively and accessible introduction to his work, Fred Inglis situates Geertza s thought in the context of his life and times, reviewing its forty--year range.

Harvey Sacksa s early death in 1975 robbed the social sciences of one of its most original thinkers. Although he published relatively little in his lifetime, his lectures and papers were enormously influential in sociology and sociolinguistics and they played a major role in the development of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis.

Focuses on the work of Umberto Eco - one of Europe's best-known writers and intellectuals. This title covers the range of Eco's work, from his theoretical writings on semiotics to his best-selling novels. It assesses the influence of Eco's work on contemporary culture.

* An outstanding introduction to the work of Franz Fanon, one of the most important and controversial thinkers of postwar period. * Fanon was an anti--colonial / postcolonial critic whose work spans across the political and academic disciplines of philosophy, psychiatry, social science, and literature.

* A lucid and comprehensive introduction to the work of leading American philosopher, Stanley Cavell * Examines Cavella s distinctive contribution to philosophy, literary theory, film studies and politics * Situates Cavella s writing within the wider context of contemporary continental philosophy.

The book serves as both an excellent introduction to Manuel Castellss wide-ranging theories and an innovative critique which contributes to ongoing debates in the field. It will be of particular interest to students and scholars in sociology, politics, geography and the social sciences generally.

* Written by an authority on Husserl and phenomenology. Dermot Moran's 'Introduction to Phenomenology' published by Routledge has been incredibly successful. * This will be the most comprehensive, high quality volume on Husserl available.

Zizek is hailed as the most significant interdisciplinary thinker of modern times. His work is a powerful, often explosive combination of Lacanian psychoanalysis and philosophy which tests key psychoanalytical concepts against the ideas of major European thinkers, especially Hegel.

Jerry Fodor is one of the most important philosophers of mind in recent decades. He has done much to set the agenda in this field and has had a significant influence on the development of cognitive science.