Description: "Combining philosophical and political analysis, this study offers a comprehensive reassessment of Castoriadis' contribution to critical theory in and through his critical confrontation with both the crisis of the traditional Left and the crisis of modern capitalist societies. The key concepts of 'crisis' and 'critique' are considered throughout the text and Castoriadis' ideas are situated in a critical debate with other radical thinkers, such as Lefort, Pannekoek, Arendt, Althusser, Axelos, Papaioannou and Marx. The study supplies an extensive analysis and explores the contemporary relevance of Castoriadis' views regarding the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Hungarian revolt of 1956 and the events of May 1968 in France. It argues for a re-radicalization of his thought in light of the current capitalist crisis and seeks to trace his radical alternative to crisis by critically examining and further elaborating his positions with respect to socialism, autonomy and revolution"--
Review Quotes:
"Memos's book examines the life and work of a major twentieth-century critical thinker, Cornelius Castoriadis. ... The book is well referenced and refreshingly concise, making it an excellent primer for college courses and accessible to a broader audience. ... it is a fair and balanced assessment of the person and his thought, properly situated in the milieu that shaped his ideas. ... the book succeeds in enticing readers to go delve further in Castoriadis's writings." (John Asimakopoulos, Anarchist Studies, Vol. 23 (2), 2017)
"Memos' book, Castoriadis and Critical Theory: Crisis, Critique and Radical Alternatives, proves to be important and timely. ... Memos' book sets out to provide an in-depth discussion of the political thought of Cornelius Castoriadis, its historical context, his relation to contemporary Marxism, Marx's work itself and the implications of Castoriadis' writings for political action. Memos builds his argument based on a rich amount of minutely researched historical context, and an intimate knowledge of Castoriadis' life and writings." (Christian Huber and Vitor Hugo Klein Jr., ephemera, ephemerajournal.org, February, 2016)