Lechte John. Key Contemporary Concepts

SAGE Publications, 2003. — 222 p. — ISBN: 0-7619-6534-3 0 7619 6535 1.This book is the essential roadmap to the key concepts which frame our understanding of society and culture. From cybernetics to quantum theory, from ideology to power, from aesthetics to mimesis, this book spans a range of disciplines to provide an insight into the current scientific and intellectual state of society. Written by the author of the international bestseller Fifty Key Contemporary Thinkers (Routledge, 1994) this ambitious pedagogical and intellectual project dazzles with insight and the breadth of knowledge presented.Each entry provides a history and current meaning of the concept in question. It then outlines its place in the work of a key author, while also offering an interpretation of the term's significance, both current and classical. Concepts are organized in alphabetical order, complete with references for further research, making this the essential reference for students throughout the social sciences and humanities.Entries contain etymological and historical information about the concept, where this is relavant. The current meanings of the concept are given, along with an exposition and discussion of the term, with particular attention being paid to the use of the concept in the work of classical or contemporary thinkers or theorists.
Key Contemporary Concepts offers a map of where we are now as a society and culture at the beginning of the twenty-first century. From cybernetics to quantum theory, from ideology to power, from aesthetics to mimesis, from the sacred to work, this book is a guide to the present and the future, as it plumbs the depths of terms across the disciplines: social theory, art theory, politics, biology, cultural studies, religion and philosophy. This is the book for anyone who wants to gain an insight into the current scientific and intellectual state of society – a book that is ideal for the student and for academics who need to brush up on the latest in areas other than their own.