ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by situating Cornelius Castoriadis's writings on society and history within the tradition of classical social theory, indicating a few of the respects in which his early social thought has been modified by his late writings, as well as the extent to which his thinking both conforms to, and departs from, the history of classical social thought. It highlights certain aspects of Castoriadis's mature writings in the light of conceptual controversies concerning relations between human subjectivity, contemporary culture, and political autonomy. The chapter discusses Castoriadis's theory of radical imagination and his associated notion of the social imaginary. It elucidates some of the connections between Castoriadis's mature writings and his contributions to the social sciences and social theory. The chapter focuses on some of the more compelling changes in recent theorizing about the newborn infant and its emerging psychic structure.
