Theory of the Subject. Translated by Bruno Bosteels

Badiou is widely considered to be France's most important and exciting contemporary thinker. Much of Badiou's earlier work (including "Being and Event") can only be fully understood with a clear grasp of "Theory of the Subject", one of his most important works."Theory of the Subject", first published in France in 1982, is without doubt one of Alain Badiou's most important works, laying many of the foundations for his magnum opus, "Being and Event". Here Badiou seeks to provide a theory of the subject for Marxism through a study of Lacanian psychoanalysis, offering a major contribution to Marxism, as well as to the larger debate regarding the relationship between psychoanalysis and philosophy.The book also provides a history and theory of structuralism and poststructuralism, a unique evaluation of the achievements of French Maoism during the 1970s and the significance of the events of May 1968, and breathtaking analyses of art and literature. As a theoretical synthesis, the book is extraordinary in terms of its originality, breadth and clarity. This is arguably Badiou's most creative and passionate book, encompassing the entire battlefield of contemporary theory, philosophy and psychoanalysis. Available for the first time in English, and including a new preface by the author, this is a must-read for anyone interested in this lively and highly original thinker.
Translator's Introduction
Author's Preface to the English translation
Preface to the French edition
1. The Place of the Subjective
2. The Subject under the Signifiers of Exception
3. Lack and Destruction
4. A Materialist Reversal of Materialism
5. Subjectivation and Subjective Proces
6. Topologies of Ethics
Thematic Index
Name Index