Fifty Key Contemporary Thinkers: From Structuralism to Postmodernity

Rating:
Summary: Postmodern and Murky
Review: "Fifty Key Contemporary Thinkers : From Structuralism to Postmodernity" is not a bad introduction to the seemingly incomprehensible world of modern and postmodern thought. However, the author John Lechte is only slightly less murky in his analysis of postmodern thinkers than they are within their often impenetrable worlds. He clearly identifies with their camp, as well as their (often unintended) support of the political New Right.

Lechte is especially hard on those critics of postmodernism, such as Noam Chomsky - calling him an "embattled rationalist painfully trying to make headway against the forces of empiricism." In my oprinion, Chomsky's wonderfully convincing denunciation of much of postmodern thought has caused this overreaction.

Lechte even dredges up the disproved "Faurisson affair" - stating that Chomsky had a "tremendous lapse of political judgement" in writing "a Preface to Faurisson's notorious book against the Nazi gas chambers". Countless right winged detractors have used this myth in an attempt to undermine Chomsky (who is Jewish). It is false. Although Chomsky did state that all shades of opinion have the right to be heard (which Lechte calls misguided!?), it is now well established that Chomsky never did give his permission to "publish a Preface" for Faurisson.

Although some of my students have found this book useful, considering the above inconstancies and po-mo murkiness, I would caution customers in purchasing this book.

Rating:
Summary: A bunch of keys
Review: '... an indispensable reference book on this century's most important intellectual revolution' - from the blurb.

Is it relativity or quantum theory? Does it overturn our ideas on the origin and fate of the universe, or elucidate the deep foundations of mathematics? No, it's pomo.

Strange that a book calling itself 'Fifty Key Contemporary Thinkers' could be published near the end of the twentieth century and contain not a word about about Russell, Carnap, Popper or Wittgenstein. I suppose that, as advertised, this tells us something about our culture.

Chomsky makes the grade, though under grave suspicion of rationality (he can't get his mind round post-structuralist doubletalk, even fashionable relativism eludes him); also Freud and Nietzsche for their iconic status and power of myth-making; Saussure, too, of course. Then it's on with the chorus of important revolutionary intellectuals, who happen to be mostly French: Lacan, Deleuze, Derrida, Foucault, Kristeva, Lyotard, dozens of other Key Thinkers you never knew you needed. By this time, if higher education has left you with any critical faculty, you may be thinking: if these are the keys, where is the door?

The book is not badly written by the standards of its subjects, and in a way this is an achievement, but the author's judgment is questionable. Elsewhere he thinks, for example, that Kristeva's early semiotics was marked by 'intricate rigor' - important intellectual-speak for bits of mathematical decoration stuck on at random. I have read it. Whatever it was, it did the trick; Kristeva has been an important intellectual ever since. If you want to find out about these people, this book is as good a starting point as any. The bad news is that you have to read some of the original works. Important lists of 'Major writings' and 'Further reading' are provided for that very purpose. But life is short; read 'Postmodern Pooh' by Frederick Crews instead. And if you find yourself starting to take the title of this book seriously, try and get out more.

P.S. A good account, at the same level, of really key thinkers (sadly not all contemporary) is 'The Concise Encyclopedia of Western Philosophy and Philosophers', ed. Urmson & Ree. It even mentions Einstein.

Rating:
Summary: Postmodern and Murky
Review: This book is the treasure of my life. I have the first print of this book for a couple of years. This book could give you clear understanding of the philosophers' thinking without reading the original text. This is the only book in encyclopedia format that I know, can acheive this goal. This book is a must for philosophy, music and art students.

Rating:
Summary: A treasure of my life
Review: This book is the treasure of my life. I have the first print of this book for a couple of years. This book could give you clear understanding of the philosophers' thinking without reading the original text. This is the only book in encyclopedia format that I know, can acheive this goal. This book is a must for philosophy, music and art students.