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provide short, pithy insights into Žižek’s thinking and approach. The Žižek Reader, edited by Elizabeth Wright and Edmond Wright, Blackwell, 1999 also contains a selection of essays by Žižek divided into the topics of Culture, Woman and Philosophy. Another way into Žižek is through the documentaries that have been made about him: Žižek!, directed by Astra Taylor and distributed by Zeitgeist films, was produced in 2005, and The Pervert’s Guide to Cinema, 2006, was directed by Sophie Fiennes and scripted by Žižek (distributed by P. Guide Ltd and ICA Projects (UK)). Numerous videos of Žižek’s lectures and talks are on YouTube and the web, and these are extremely illuminating and engaging. A full bibliography of Žižek’s books as well as articles, compiled by the journal lacanian ink, is at http://www.lacan.com/bibliographyzi.htm. This site also lists some key secondary sources on Žižek. Matthew Sharpe and Geoff Boucher, Žižek and Politics: A Critical Introduction, Edinburgh University Press, 2010 is a well edited textbook outlining different understandings of Žižek’s philosophical development and views. Author’s acknowledgements I would like to thank all of the people who contributed to the preparation of this book, especially Duncan Heath, Piero, Dr Dean Kenning, Catherine Yass and the Masters students at the Byam Shaw School of Art at Central St Martins. In addition, Slavoj Žižek’s extremely generous assistance in the early stages of the book’s development was greatly appreciated by both Piero and me. I dedicate this book to my daughter, Enna Thea. Extracts from Slavoj Žižek, Looking Awry: An Introduction to Jacques Lacan through Popular Culture, courtesy of MIT Press. Christopher Kul-Want is leader of the Masters in Research in Art Theory and Philosophy course at Central St Martins College of Art and Design, University of the Arts, London. His books in Icon’s Introducing series include Introducing Kant (1996), Introducing Aesthetics (2007) and Introducing Continental Philosophy (2012). He is the editor of Philosophers on Art, From Kant to the Postmodernists: A Critical Reader (Columbia University Press, 2010). Piero is an illustrator, artist and graphic designer. He has also illustrated guides to the following subjects in the Introducing series: Aesthetics, Anthropology, Barthes, Capitalism, Nietzsche, Psychiatry and Shakespeare. 174
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Index advertising 112–13 Afghanistan 51–3 anamorphosis 129–30 anti-capitalism 43–4 Antigone 134–5, 141 Badiou, Alain 31 Beckett, Samuel 84, 86 big Other 62–4, 69–71, 154–5, 158–61, 167–8 Bohr, Niels 169 Brecht, Bertolt 25 Buñuel, Luis 131–2 Carmen 140 categorical imperative 156 charity 46–7 Church 86–9 “clash of civilizations” 50–3 collective change 29 communism 26–8, 94 consumerism 45 Crucifixion 167 Darwin, Charles 34 deconstruction 23–4 Derrida, Jacques 23, 160 Descartes, René 122–3 desire 107, 132–4, 138, 152–4, 156 dialogue, refusal of 136–7 “divine dimension” 144–5 Dolar, Mladen 10–11 Don Giovanni 138–9 Dostoyevsky, Fyodor 98, 100 duty 156–8 ecology 31–40 Eichmann, Adolf 157 Einstein, Albert 169 enjoyment 105–8, 111 exchange, system of 66–9 experience 113 fictional subject 118–26 French revolution 142–9 Freud, Sigmund 71–3, 102–4 God as blasphemer 164 as computer programmer 171 death of 97–8 failure of 166–7 175 happiness 111–12, 115 Hegel, G.W.F. 20, 75 Heisenberg, Werner 169 Hitchcock, Alfred 76–8 ideology 20–1, 69 and repression 30, 57 immoral ethics 133– 41, 151–2 irrationality 95–6 Job 162–7 Joyce, James 63, 85–6 Kafka, Franz 79–84, 86 Kant, Immanuel 156–7 Lacan, Jacques 7, 10–11, 20, 35, 65, 100, 124–7, 129, 134, 141, 155 lack 65 language, fiction of 125–6 law, obscenity of 79–83

Index advertising 112–13 Afghanistan 51–3 anamorphosis 129–30 anti-capitalism 43–4 Antigone 134–5, 141

Badiou, Alain 31 Beckett, Samuel 84,

86 big Other 62–4,

69–71, 154–5, 158–61, 167–8 Bohr, Niels 169 Brecht, Bertolt 25 Buñuel, Luis 131–2

Carmen 140 categorical imperative

156 charity 46–7 Church 86–9 “clash of civilizations”

50–3 collective change 29 communism 26–8, 94 consumerism 45 Crucifixion 167

Darwin, Charles 34 deconstruction 23–4 Derrida, Jacques 23,

160 Descartes, René

122–3

desire 107, 132–4,

138, 152–4, 156 dialogue, refusal of

136–7 “divine dimension”

144–5 Dolar, Mladen 10–11 Don Giovanni 138–9 Dostoyevsky, Fyodor

98, 100 duty 156–8

ecology 31–40 Eichmann, Adolf 157 Einstein, Albert 169 enjoyment 105–8, 111 exchange, system of

66–9 experience 113

fictional subject

118–26 French revolution

142–9 Freud, Sigmund 71–3,

102–4

God as blasphemer 164 as computer programmer 171 death of 97–8 failure of 166–7

175

happiness 111–12,

115 Hegel, G.W.F. 20, 75 Heisenberg, Werner

169 Hitchcock, Alfred

76–8

ideology 20–1, 69

and repression

30, 57 immoral ethics 133–

41, 151–2 irrationality 95–6

Job 162–7 Joyce, James 63,

85–6

Kafka, Franz 79–84,

86 Kant, Immanuel

156–7

Lacan, Jacques 7,

10–11, 20, 35, 65, 100, 124–7, 129, 134, 141, 155 lack 65 language, fiction of

125–6 law, obscenity of

79–83

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