Slavoj Žižek: Live Theory

Book excerpt: Slavoj Žižek 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 Žižek have anything to say in his own right? Is there a system of thought that we can properly call " Žižekian"? 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 Žižek himself, Slavoj Žižek: Live Theory presents a snapshot of the Žižek system ideal for undergraduates in social and cultural theory and philosophy.