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An Introduction to Radical Thinkers at the ICA - Preliminary readings

Lewis Bassett 4 April 2013

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The following extracts, free to download, accompany An Introduction to Radical Thinkers: a fortnightly series of events begining 9th April at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), London.



Our groundbreaking Radical Thinkers series publishes beautifully designed and affordably priced editions of important works of theory and philosophy. From Adorno to Žižek, the series now exceeds 80 published titles and counts over 300,000 copies sold. You can see them all here.

Set 7 features Slavoj Žižek, André Gorz, Simon Critchley, Alain Badiou, Max Horkheimer, Wilhelm Reich, Maurice Godelier, Valentin Voloshinov, Karl Korsch, Jean Baudrillard, Ludwig Feuerbach and Fredric Jameson.

To launch this new Set 7 Verso is proud to present An Introduction to Radical Thinkers, led by engaging speakers to steer the potential of such debate far away from the safe confines of ‘philosophy-as-self-help’ to more provocative and radical horizons, the events aim to interrogate our existing understandings of all areas of life, including: sexuality, economics, faith, politics and the individual.

Details of each event and tickets are available from the ICA.

For an introduction to the authors and their thought see here.

Before attending these events be sure to refer to the following pages in the book or download the extracts from the links below.

This list will be updated over the coming weeks.

9 April: Nina Power on The Fiery Brook by Ludwig Feuerbach
Preliminary Theses on the Reform of Philosophy (p.153-173) and the Preface to the 2nd edition of the Essence of Christianity (p.247-264)


23 April: Federico Campagna on Infinitely Demanding by Simon Critchley
Introduction (up to ‘is a quasi-kissing cousin of  Turgenev’s Bazarov.’)
Ethical Subjectivity (page 19, last paragraph up to ‘we will return when we examine Kant.’)
Having a conscience (page 85 to page 87)
One needs to search for the struggle (page 105 up to ‘one needs to search for the struggle’)
Politics as interstitial distance within the state (page 111, beginning of chapter up to end of chapter).

7 May: Esther Leslie on Critique of Instrumental Reason by Max Horkheimer
Feudal Lord, Customer, and Specialist: The End of the Fairy Tale of the Customer as King


21 May: Peter Hallward on Ethics by Alain Badiou
Chapters 4 & 5