Zizek Now

Arguably the most prolific and most widely read philosopher of our time, Slavoj Žižek has made indelible interventions into many disciplines of the so-called human sciences that have transformed the terms of discussion in these fields. Although his work has been the subject of many volumes of searching criticism and commentary, there is no assessment to date of the value of his work for the development of these disciplines. Žižek Now brings together distinguished critics to explore the utility and far-ranging implications of Žižek's thought and provide an evaluation of the difference his work makes or promises to make in their chosen fields. As such, the volume offers chapters on quantum physics and Žižek's transcendentalist materialist theory of the subject, Hegel's absolute, materialist Christianity, postcolonial violence, eco-politics, ceremonial acts, and the postcolonial revolutionary subject. Contributors to the volume include Adrian Johnston, Ian Parker, Todd McGowan, Bruno Bosteels, Erik Vogt, Verena Conley, Joshua Ramey, Jamil Khader, and Žižek himself.

Acknowledgments vii

Notes on Contributors ix

Part One

Introduction: Žižek Now or Never: Ideological Critique and the Nothingness of Being
Jamil Khader 3

1 Žižek’s Sublime Objects Now
Ian Parker 16

Part Two

2 Hegel as Marxist: Žižek’s Revision of German Idealism
Todd McGowan 31

3 Žižek and Christianity: Or the Critique of Religion after Marx and Freud
Bruno Bosteels 54

4 Ceremonial Contingencies and the Ambiguous Rites of Freedom
Joshua Ramey 84

Part Three

5 A Critique of Natural Economy: Quantum Physics with Žižek
Adrian Johnston 103

6 Slavoj Žižek’s Eco-Chic
Verena Andermatt Conley 121

7 Žižek and Fanon: On Violence and Related Matters
Erik Vogt 140

8 Žižek’s Infi delity: Lenin, the National Question, and the Postcolonial Legacy of Revolutionary Internationalism
Jamil Khader 159

Part Four

9 King, Rabble, Sex, and War in Hegel
Slavoj Žižek 177

Index 207

"When reading some of Žižek’s more theoretical texts, we often feel that we understand his argument – well illustrated as it is through jokes and references to popular culture – but that there remains something that we feel unable to grasp (perhaps something ‘in Žižek more than himself’). This is the gap filled by Žižek Now : a near-comprehensive road map to Žižek’s more challenging and fascinating ideas"
Information, Communication & Society

"Though the Žižek-critique machine has by now begun to compete, in vigor and volume of output, with the Žižek-machine itself, this collection of essays, devoted to one of the foremost philosophers of our era, still stands out as exemplary. The various essays demonstrate deep appreciation and knowledge of the ever-expanding Žižek oeuvre and articulate strong, original interpretations of its development and repetitions."
Joan Copjec,University of Buffalo

"The wide-ranging scope and impressive eclecticism of this collection captures the dazzling spirit and dizzying letter of its topic: Žižek Now carries the innovative character and challenging symptoms of Slavoj Žižek’s theoretical achievement and political provocation. Žižek Now offers a valuable commentary on what is best in Slavoj's thought."
Costas Douzinas, Birkbeck University of London

"Žižek Now will undoubtedly become a key text, not only for students who aim to politicize their socio-political and cultural engagement but also for any individuals wishing to orientate themselves in relation to the diverse but interdependent strands of Žižek's output."
Tim Brennan, University of Sunderland

Dr. Jamil Khader, Professor of English and Dean of Research at Bethlehem University, Palestine.

Molly Anne Rothenberg is professor of english at Tulane University.