ABSTRACT
One cannot help but wonder how such an in-depth and broad-ranging thesis as that of Cornelius Castoriadis can be squeezed into a publication that is meant to be of a skin-deep nature. Castoriadis' work lies within the realm of anti-consumerism. It can only be truly understood and made use of by not treating it as a mere consumer product, but by looking at how it came about and how it holds together. Castoriadis does not make use of reductive concepts such as values, needs, norms and roles. Notwithstanding this, such concepts are useful for shedding light on certain fundamental nuances in social relationships. Castoriadis did not seek to highlight determinisms, necessities or functions. Whatever is laid down as norms, roles or needs constitutes every bit as much a manifestation of what is deemed to be of importance as it is of that which is not deemed important.
