James D. Williams 
Lyotard 
Towards a Postmodern Philosophy

Jean-François Lyotard was one of the most influential European
thinkers in recent decades. He was a leading participant in debates
about post-modernism and the decline of Marxism, and he made
important contributions to ethics, aesthetics and political
philosophy.

In this authoritative introduction, Williams tracks the
development of Lyotard’s thought from his early writings on the
libidinal economy to his more recent work on the post-modern
condition. Williams argues that despite the wide-ranging character
of Lyotard’s writings, they are animated by a long-standing concern
to develop a new theory of political action. Lyotard’s productive
use of avant-garde art and the aesthetics of the sublime are
interpreted within this context. In the final chapters some of the
main criticisms that have been levelled at Lyotard’s work are
outlined and assessed.

A challenging but also accessible book, it will be welcomed by
students and researchers in continental philosophy, literary theory
and the humanities generally.

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Acknowledgements.

1. Introduction: Rethinking the Political.

2. Lyotard’s Materialism.

3. States of Society: The Postmodern Condition.

4. States of Society: The Libidinal Economy.

5. Methodology.

6. Politics.

7. Hegel, Levinas and Capital.

8. Critical Debates.

References.

Index.

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James Williams is Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Dundee.