The Truth of Zizek (PDF)

Slavoj Zizek is widely regarded as one of the world's most important contemporary thinkers. His work has contributed dramatically to the reinvention and revivification of many key theoretical and political debates. Indeed, his vociferous and challenging body of work amounts to a sustained, ground-breaking, terrain-shifting and far reaching intervention into a large number of academic disciplines, intellectual fields and cultural debates. The Truth of Zizek addresses the rigorous critical assessment demanded by this broad and increasingly influential corpus. This timely and compelling collection of essays from an international team of leading Zizekian scholars addresses the full range of Zizek's theoretical interventions, assessing critically the political, philosophical, psychoanalytical, cultural and institutional stakes of his work. Each chapter engages with and challenges Zizek's thought to explicate a key aspect of his work, clarifying its importance and challenging its claims through rigorous critique. By focusing on Zizek's contributions to these disciplines, fields and debates, this collection sets out to diagnose and assess the emergence of a ' Zizekian moment' within contemporary intellectual, cultural and political events. The Truth of Zizek provides the first sustained engagement with and assessment of the significant impact of Zizek's work. This compelling and valuable collection of essays from cutting edge scholars picks up the gauntlet thrown down by Zizek: the demand that his readers respond with 'the coldness and cruelty of true friendship.'