The New Materialism: Althusser, Badiou, and Zizek

152 Pages·2015·9.18 MB·English

by  Geoff Pfeifer

Alain Badiou and Slavoj Zizek have become two of the dominant voices
in contemporary philosophy and critical theory. In this book, Geoff Pfeifer
offers an in-depth look at their respective views. Using Louis Althusser's
materialism as a starting point-which, as Pfeifer shows, was built par
tially as a response to the Marxism of the Parti Communiste Français and
partially in dialogue with other philosophical movements and intellectual
currents of its times-the book looks at the differing ways in which both
Badiou's and Zizek's work attempt to respond to issues that arise within the
Althusserian edifice. Pfeifer argues here that, ultimately, Zizek's materialism
succeeds in responding to these issues in ways that Badiou's does not. In
building this argument, Pfeifer engages not only with the work of Althusser,
Badiou, and ZiZek and their intellectual backgrounds, but also with much of
the contemporary scholarship surrounding these thinkers. As such, Pfeifer's
book is an important addition to the ongoing debates within contemporary
critical theory.
Geoff Pfeifer is Assistant Teaching Professor of Philosophy at Worcester Poly
technic Institute.
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Althusser, Badiou, and Zizek
Geoff Pfeifer
1
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LibrCll:Y ofCongress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Pfeifer, Geoff.
The new materialism : Althusser, Badiou, Zizek 1 GeoffPfeifer.-
1s t Edition.
pages cm. - (Routledge studies in social and political thought ; 102)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Critical them·y. 2. Materialism. 3. Philosophy, Modern-21st
century. 4. Althusser, Louis, 1918-1990-Political and social
views. 5. Badiou, Alain,-Political and social vie\vs. 6. Zizek,
Slavoj-Political and social views. I. Title.
HM480.P44 2015
146'.3-dc23
2014039608
ISBN: 978-1-138-81208-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-74837-5 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
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For Molly and Elan

Contents
Acknowledgments Xl
Introduction 1
1 Louis Althusser and the Parti Communiste Français 9
2 En Media Res: Althusser's Materialism, the Challenge to
the PCF's Marxism, and the Rise of Anti-Humanism 26
3 Badiou's Materialist Project: Stasis and Change 52
4 Badiou as Structuralist, or the ldealism of Formalism 75
5 Zizek and the Materialism of the lmmaterial, or
Why Hegel Is Not an Idealist 93
6 Zizek Contra Badiou 114
Conclusion: New Materialism? 133
Index 139