The concept of “Crisis” in the thought of Cornelius Castoriadis

This chapter focuses on Cornelius Castoriadis's critical and topical engagement with the crisis of the latter and stresses its relevance for contemporary critical theory. First, it examines Castoriadis's correlation of the crisis of modern societies with the concept of reification and the impact of class struggles. Crisis is discussed as being inherent to the contradictory and antagonistic constitution of the capitalist social relations and Castoriadis is situated in a critical dialog with Lukacs and Adorno. Second, the chapter critically explores Castoriadis's subsequent view of the crisis as a phenomenon ensuing from the conflict between the social imaginary significations of "autonomy" and the unlimited expansion of "rational mastery", which has led to the eclipse of the project of autonomy. Finally, it engages with Castoriadis's argument that modern societies are moving from a state of permanent crisis to a situation of decline and decomposition, manifested in the rising tide of insignificancy and new forms of barbarism

Open Marxism and critical theory:negative critique and class as critical concept

The chapter reflects upon the Open Marxist tradition as critical social theory and identifies its distinctive character as negative critique of capitalist society. It argues that Open Marxism continues to advance the critical purpose of the early Frankfurt School, and of critical theory, in the direction of critical confrontation with traditional theory, and with the prevailing positivism and scientificism in the Marxist tradition of the second and third internationals. The chapter, first, discusses the historical background and theoretical development of Open Marxism from Axelos’s original use of the term (1950s), to the work of Agnoli (1980s), and that of Clarke, Bonefeld, Gunn and Holloway— developed within the framework of the Conference of Socialist Economists (CSE) — since the 1990s. The second section defines the distinctiveness of Open Marxism and argues that there is a discernable common foundation to the work of Open Marxist authors that relates to their radical rethinking and use of critique not as normative and constructive, but as negative and destructive. Finally, the chapter discusses Open Marxism`s distinctive conception of social practice as a critique of the notion of class. For Open Marxists, class is not an affirmative category, but is essentially both a critical concept, and a negative category

Anarchism and Council Communism on the Russian Revolution

The Russian Revolution, being part of the revolutionary tradition of the exploited and oppressed, encompasses sufferings, horrors and tragedies, but also unfulfilled promises, hopes and revolutionary inspirations. The subversive heritage includes, among others, the largely neglected radical critiques of the Russian Revolution that preceded analogous Trotskyist endeavours. All these forgotten critiques, unrealised potentials and past struggles could act as a constantly renewed point of departure in the fight for human emancipation. This essay examines the two radical currents of anarchism and Council Communism and their critical confrontation with the Russian Revolution and the class character of the Soviet regime. First, it outlines the major anarchist critiques and analyses of the revolution (Kropotkin, Malatesta, Rocker, Goldman, Berkman and Voline). Following this, it explores the critique provided by the Council Communist tradition (Pannekoek, Gorter and Rühle). The essay moves on to provide a critical re-evaluation of both anarchist and councilist appraisals of the Russian Revolution in order to disclose liberating intentions and tendencies that are living possibilities for contemporary radical anti-capitalist struggles all over the world. It also attempts to shed light on the limits, inadequacies and confusions of their approaches, derive lessons for the present social struggles and make explicit the political and theoretical implications of this anti-critique

Castoriadis and social theory:from marginalization to canonization to re-radicalization

This chapter examines Cornelius Castoriadis's trajectory from obscurity and the margins of post-war French intellectual and political milieu to the misappropriation and canonization of his thought after the 1970s and argues for a re-radicalization of his thought. First, it considers his formative experience in Greece and examines how the post-war French political, economic and ideological conditions and the group and journal Socialisme ou Barbarie contributed to Castoriadis's radicalization. The chapter explores some reasons for the rising interest in the social and political thought of Cornelius Castoriadis, expressed in both academic and political circles after the 1970s and has led not only to his international recognition but also to a triple diversion of the political and radical meaning of his theorizing. After the 1970s, Castoriadis's radical and left critique of totalitarianism, Marx and Marxism was misconstrued and misused by the new philosophers'. The chapter concludes by arguing for a need to restore to Castoriadis's work its proper political and radical problematic

Reconsidering the Marxist-anarchist controversy in and through Radical Praxis

This paper reflects on the Greek revolt of December 2008 and reexamines the dispute between Marxism and anarchism in and through the social unrest. It argues that their polemic and intolerance should not be perceived as established and unchanging. Throughout the uprising, both Marxists and anarchists created a space of openness, united action and active solidarity overcoming their sectarianism and closure. The study considers that the two opposing currents could learn valuable lessons and draw significant conclusions from the radical practice of the insurgents concerning the critical organizational issue and the means-end relationship. It argues, also, that the revolted questioned the existing Marxist and anarchist presuppositions as regards the issues of state and time. The paper maintains that the continuation of the Marxist-anarchist conflict perpetuates the crisis of the international radical movement. It concludesthat both Marxism and anarchism could play a constructive role in order to form a new radical alternative and return to the practical and theoretical broadmindedness of the First International

Diffraction of waves through a gap between two inclined breakwaters

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Global economic crisis as social hieroglyphic:genesis, constitution and regressive progress

This book examines the 2008 global economic crisis as a complex social phenomenon or "social hieroglyphic", arguing that the crisis is not fundamentally economic, despite presenting itself as such. Instead, it is considered to be a symptom of a long-standing, multifaceted, and endemic crisis of capitalism which has effectively become permanent, leading contemporary capitalist societies into a state of social regression, manifest in new forms of barbarism. The author offers a qualitative understanding of the economic crisis as the perversion, or inversion, of the capitalistically organized social relations. The genesis of the current crisis is traced back to the unresolved world crisis surrounding the Great Depression in order to map the course and different "inverted forms" of the continuous global crisis of capitalism, and to reveal their inner connections as derivative of the same social constitution. From a historical and interdisciplinary perspective, the book expounds critical social theory, elaborating on the intersection between the early critical theory of the Frankfurt School - mainly Adorno, Horkheimer, and Marcuse - and the "social form" analysis of the Open Marxism school. Global Economic Crisis as Social Hieroglyphic critically addresses the permanent character of the 1920s-1930s crisis and the "crisis theory" debates; the political crisis in Eastern Europe (1953-1968); the crisis of Keynesianism; the crisis of subversive reason; the crisis, negative anthropology and transformations of the bourgeois individual; the state of social regression and the destructive tendencies after the rise of neoliberalism; and finally, the 2008 financial crisis and its ongoing aftermath.</p

Castoriadis on Althusser and the Crisis of Marxism

The issue concerning the crisis of Marxism has had a wide range of interpretations and has promoted debate and controversy. During the Cold War anti-communist hysteria and coming from a radical perspective, Castoriadis re-opened and participated in the above debate. Directing his critique against the theory and practice of Marxism, Castoriadis considered the crisis of Marxism as a crisis of Marx&rsquo;s original thought as well. The degeneration of Marxism and the loss of its radical character were attributed to its transformation into a semi-religious dogma and a closed theoretical system. &nbsp;Castoriadis returned, again, to this issue after Althusser`s public announcement of the crisis of Marxism in 1977. This paper discusses Castoriadis&rsquo;s important, but still neglected fierce critique of the Althusser`s views and argues that it prompts a re-appreciation of considerable issues for contemporary emancipatory politics. First, Castoriadis&rsquo;s critical alternative approach to the crisis of Marxism is located within the Marxist theoretical discussions on the issue. Following an outline of Althusser`s attempt to formulate the fundamental causes for what he meant to be an overt eruption of the crisis of Marxism, the essay goes on to present Castoriadis&rsquo;s&nbsp; critique and investigates the grounds on which it was put forward. The paper concludes with an assessment of the implications of Castoriadis&rsquo;s arguments for the renewal of radical politics today

Withdrawal from Voluntary Oral Methamphetamine Reveals Female Specific Susceptibilities to Behavioral Deficits and Neurochemical Perpetuators of Neurotoxicity and Drug Seeking Behavior

MA is a potent, highly addictive psychomotor stimulant known to produce neurotoxic effects on the brain leading to neurological impairments1-6 characterized by neurodegeneration of dopaminergic fibers, cell bodies and pathways, as well as brain regions such as the hippocampus, frontal cortex, and midbrain1,5. In MA addiction, women are more vulnerable to the behavioral and cognitive effects of MA compared to men. Adult human literature reveals gender differences in usage patterns and women demonstrate increased vulnerability to the neurotoxic effects and health effects of MA use. Women begin drug use at an earlier age, escalate drug use quicker, have increased MA rates, and increased relapse rates compared to men7-14. Chronic MA use produces long term impairments in cognitive function ranging from memory deficits, executive function deficits, and cognitive flexibility in chronic MA users15-16. Women demonstrate poor performance on decision making tasks following chronic MA use compared to men16. These MA-induced deficits in learning and memory have been associated with long term deteriorations of hippocampias well as persistent deterioration of other brain regions5. Current rodent models of addiction have been unsuccessful in identifying a therapeutic intervention to mitigate the persistent effects of chronic MA in vulnerable populations, unlike the use of buprenorphine administration to mitigate the detrimental effects associated with opioid abuse17. This highlights the need for the development of a translationally sensitive rodent model of MA addiction to better model human MA use and identify therapeutic intervention for susceptible populations including females. Using the voluntary oral methamphetamine administration (VOMA) model that our lab developed in mice, we identify the molecule mechanisms underlying sex differences in the behavioral and neurotoxic effects of chronic MA following a period of abstinence. Our results may aid in the identification of effective therapeutic targets for pharmacological intervention. Some rodent studies have assessed sex differences in the neurotoxic effects of MA abuse using bolus and binge dosing however the neurochemical changes underling female specific susceptibilities to the behavioral and neurochemical effects of chronic MA are poorly understood. We developed a VOMA model that produces a more naturalistic consumption pattern, replicates the behavioral deficits observed following MA abuse, and produces the neurotoxic molecular changes observed in human MA abuse. The studies presented in this dissertation utilized the VOMA model followed by a two-week period of abstinence to assess 1. sex differences in GluA1, GluA2, and GSK3β signaling in mice that consume variable amounts of MA to investigate differential susceptibility to persistent synaptic plasticity deficits and drug seeking behavior following withdrawal from MA 2. sex differences in GluA1, GluA2, and GSK3β signaling in mice that consume equivalent amounts of MA to determine female specific susceptibility to inflammation and cell death following withdrawal from MA, and 3. sex differences in PKMζ and κOR signaling to assess female susceptibility to AMPAr trafficking dysfunction and drug seeking following withdrawal from MA. These experiments were done to understand the 4. neurochemical shifts underlying female-specific vulnerabilities to persistent behavioral and cognitive deficits following MA abuse to aid in the development of a targeted therapeutic intervention. To achieve our goal, we carried out three (3) specific aims: Specific Aim 1: Does the VOMA model have sufficient sensitivity to identify sex specific differences in MA consumption and cognitive deficits associated with markers of synaptic plasticity and drug seeking? [Chapter 2] Female mice consumed more MA during the binge phase of VOMA (d15-28) compared to male mice indicating that the VOMA model is sensitive enough to detect sex differences in consumption as observed in human MA users. More working memory errors on the RAM were correlated with increased MA consumption in female mice only. Following two weeks of abstinence, female mice displayed decreased GluA1 expression in the hippocampus and increased of GluA1 in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). These neurochemical changes may suggest female specific modulation of reward circuitry producing drug craving and drug seeking behavior potentially exacerbating observed cognitive deficits in female mice. Additionally, these results demonstrate sex differences in AMPAr trafficking that may underly hippocampal spatial working memory deficits and uncover the role of glutamatergic signaling in MA induced craving and drug seeking behaviors driven by the NAc. Specific Aim 2: What is the role of AMPAr and GSK3β signaling in perpetuating sex differences in neurotoxicity and inflammation following abstinence from chronic MA? [Chapter 3] 28d of VOMA produced distinct consumption groups observed in both sexes which mimics human MA use and provides a more naturalistic rodent model of MA addiction. When consumption rates were equivalent between sexes, female mice displayed decreased GSK3β and p-GSK3β expression in the NAc as well as decreased GluA1 expression in the hippocampus. Overall, these results indicate that following abstinence from 28d of VOMA, females are more susceptible to downstream persistent inflammatory pathway activation with associated cell death, mitochondrial dysfunction, as well as synaptic destabilization through AMPAr signaling in the hippocampus irrespective of MA consumption. Specific Aim 3: What is the role of hippocampal PKMζ signaling in short-term working memory deficits and κOR signaling in promoting drug seeking behavior following withdrawal from MA? [Chapter 4] Following two weeks of abstinence from 28d of VOMA, female mice displayed downregulation of hippocampal PKMζ expression and more working memory errors on the RAM compared to males. These neurochemical shifts highlight female susceptibility to long-term synaptic destabilization which may explain cognitive dysfunction in female human MA users. Female mice also upregulated hippocampal κOR expression compared to males which may reflect changes in drug seeking behavior, dysphoria associated with increased drug craving, and changes in the rewarding effects of MA perpetuated by crosstalk with dopaminergic signaling. Conclusion: The VOMA model has provided a more naturalistic approach to investigating sex differences in the behavioral and molecular deficits produced by chronic methamphetamine and abstinence during adolescence. Using this model, we have successfully characterized neurochemical modulations involved in sex specific susceptibilities to the behavioral and cognitive effects of MA in mice that are long lasting. Furthermore, identifying shifts in synaptic plasticity markers, perpetuators of inflammation and cell death, as well as molecular signaling involved in drug craving and drug seeking has provided novel insights into the female specific vulnerabilities progressing MA addiction and may lead to the development of targeted therapeutic intervention to mitigate these deficits in susceptible populations