Cogito and the Unconscious

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Žižek, S. (ed.) (1998) Cogito and the Unconscious, Durham: Duke University Press. Containing three essays by Žižek, this book is essentially a defence of the cogito and of transcendental subjectivity generally. At the heart of Žižek's essays is his central thesis that the subject is the 'monster' which remains when we subtract subjectivity, or the wealth of self- experience, from what he terms the 'human person'. Split into three parts, the book explains the role of the cogito in psychoanalysis, analyses its relationship with the body, and explores contemporary critiques of the Cartesian subject. It is a rewarding read but difficult in places.