Understanding Poststructuralism

Understanding poststructuralismisa lucid guide to some of the most exciting and controversialideasin contemporary thought structured around the key works ofthemovements most important theorists, viz, foucault,derrida,kristeva, lyotard and deleuze, each chapter examines acentraltext, providing detailed summaries of the main points andacritical analysis of the core arguments difficult ideas areclearlyexplained both in terms of their value to critical thinkingand tocontemporary issues poststructuralisms challengingmethodology€“ deconstruction, libidinal economics,genealogyand transcendental empiricism €“ is illuminatedbybeing examined in context although a sympathetic interpreterofpoststructuralism, williams is not dismissive of the criticismofanalytic philosophers and he is able to provide a muchneededbalanced assessment of this philosophy the book offers anidealintroduction for students encountering poststructuralist ideasinphilosophy, social and political theory, cultural studies,genderstudies and in literary and art criticism about the author james williams is reader in philosophy attheuniversity of dundee

James Williams is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Dundee.