Description
Book SynopsisThis collection brings together contributions from social theorists in sociology, philosophy, and cultural studies to dissect and critique capitalist crises, left-liberalism, left-Thatcherism, resistance to risk-pooling, idealist philosophy, undemocratic social character, status wages and authoritarian spectacles. Throughout, Marx's centrality to critical social theory is confirmed, both alone and in powerful combination with Adorno, Durkheim, Dubois, Lacan, Veblen, Weber and others.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgement Notes on Contributors Introduction Daniel Krier and Mark P. Worrell TOWARDS A NEW UNDERSTANDING OF CRITICAL THEORY 1. Capitalism’s Future: Self Alienation, Self-Emancipation and the Remaking of Critical Theory David Norman Smith SECTION 1: CAPITALISM’S FUTURE AND THE CRITIQUE OF POLITICAL ECONOMY 2. Beyond Left Liberalism: A Critical Look at Proposals to Reform the Capital/Wage Labor Relation Tony Smith 3. Left Thatcherism: Recent Critical Theory and Post-Marxism(s) in the Light of Marxian Social Ontology Christian Lotz 4. Capital’s Reach: How Capital Shapes and Subsumes Patrick Murray 5. Easing the Encumbered Subject: Security, Speculation and Capitalist Subjectivity Kevin Amidon and Daniel Krier SECTION 2: CAPITALISM’S FUTURE AND THE CRITIQUE OF POLITICAL PSYCHOLOGY 6. The Idolatry of Mind: Durkheim’s Critique of Idealism Mark P. Worrell 7. Social Character in Western Pre-Modernity: Lacanian Psychosis in Wladyslaw Reymont’s The Peasants Daniel Krier and Tony Feldmann 8. Pragmatism's Status Wage and the Standpoint of the Stranger Graham Cassano 9. Dark Spectacle: Authoritarian Performance and the Commodity Form William J. Swart and Daniel Krier Index
