Dominik Finkelde is Professor of Epistemology and Contemporary Philosophy at the Munich School of Philosophy, Germany. He is the co-editor of Žižek Responds! (Bloomsbury, 2023) and has published on contemporary philosophy and German Idealism.

If, as Hegel claimed, the task of philosophy is to grasp one’s time in thought, no contemporary thinker has better discharged it than Slavoj Žižek who has, over the last four decades, provided the cognitive maps that have allowed us to orient ourselves amidst the political, economic, and cultural turbulence of the post-Cold War “order.” With his new Handbook to Slavoj Žižek , Dominik Finkelde has made it possible for readers to make full use of Zizek’s extraordinary body of work. Composed of multiple sections written by a team of distinguished thinkers and dedicated to historical contexts, individual publications, intellectual influences, motifs, and concepts, the Handbook will guide and deepen our engagement with Zizek’s thought for years to come.

• PrefacePART I: Life1. Žižek’s Intellectual Biography: Brutalism and Metaphysics, Dominik FinkeldePART II: Contexts2. Žižek and Neue Slowenische Kunst, Björn Quiring3. Žižek’s Poetry: Early Engagements with the Slovene Avant-Garde, Kaitlyn Sorenson4. The Legacy of Poststructuralism, Marc De Kesel5. On Finitude: Heidegger and Žižek, Thomas Brockelman6. Enjoy! Neo-Capitalism and the Duty to Enjoy, Henrik Jøker Bjerre7. Radical Democratic Theory: Laclau, Mouffe, Rancière, Butler, Oliver Flügel-Martinsen8. The Legacy of Christianity, Rebekka A. Klein9. Speculative Realism (Žižek and Meillassoux, Harman, and Gabriel), Daniel Sacilotto10. Neuroscience, Cogito, and Consciousness, Glyn Daly11. Justice, Law, and Violence, Hyun Kang Kim12. The Ljubljana School: Imaginary Institution, Real Effects, Henrik Jøker BjerrePART III: Work 1 – Ideology Studies and Critical Theory13. The Sublime Object of Ideology (1989), Dominik Finkelde14. For They Know Not What They Do: Enjoyment as a Political Factor (1991), Ed Pluth15. Looking Awry (1991) and Enjoy Your Symptom! (1992), Joseph Carew16. The Metastases of Enjoyment (1994), Joseph Carew17. The Plague of Fantasies (1997), Coraly von Welser18. Organs without Bodies (2004), Robert SinnerbrinkPART IV: Work 2 – German Idealism and Psychoanalysis19. The Most Sublime Hysteric (2014), Seraphin Frimmer20. Tarrying with the Negative (1993), Martin Eleven21. The Indivisible Remainder (1996), Joseph Carew22. The Ticklish Subject (1999), Martin Eleven23. The Parallax View (2006), Rex Butler24. Less Than Nothing (2012), Reinhard Heil25. Absolute Recoil (2014), Benedikt Wissing26. Sex and the Failed Absolute (2019), Max FeslPART V: Work 3 – Religion and Christianity27. The Fragile Absolute (2000), Rasmus Nagel28. On Belief (2001), Rebekka A. Klein29. The Puppet and the Dwarf (2003), Rasmus Nagel30. The Monstrosity of Christ (2009), Marika RosePART VI: Work 4 – Radical Politics31. Revolution at the Gates (2002), Paul Kellogg32. The Political Suspension of the Ethical (2005), Simon Faets33. In Defense of Lost Causes (2008), Mariana Schütt34. “Enjoyment within the Limits of Reason Alone” (2001), Leonard Weiss35. Violence: Six Sideways Reflections (2008), Hilary NeroniPART VII: Work 5 – Film, Art, and Technology36. The Fright of Real Tears (2001), Dany Nobus37. The Art of the Ridiculous Sublime (2000), Marek Wieczorek38. Antigone (2016), Matic Kocijancic39. Hegel in a Wired Brain (2020), Dominik FinkeldePART VIII: Themes and Leitmotifs40. Initial Insights: In Praise of Early Žižek, Mladen Dolar41. Topology and Logical Time: Žižek’s Aesthetic of the Signifier, Andrew Cutrofello and Simon Hajdini42. Parallax, Negativity, and Dialectical Materialism, Frank Ruda43. Cosmogony Recapitulates Ontogeny, Adrian Johnston44. Dialectics Contra Phenomenology, Todd McGowan45. Postmodern Enjoyment, Matthew FlisfederPART IX: Philosophical Sources46. Louis Althusser, Russell Sbriglia47. Alain Badiou, Paul Livingston48. Judith Butler, Paul Eisenstein49. Jacques Derrida, Dominik Finkelde50. Sigmund Freud, Dominik Finkelde51. Georg W. F. Hegel, Robert Sinnerbrink52. Martin Heidegger, Thomas Brockelman53. Alfred Hitchcock, Hyun Kang Kim54. Immanuel Kant, Dany Nobus55. Jacques Lacan, Dominik Finkelde56. Ernesto Laclau, Oliver Flügel-Martinsen57. Vladimir I. Lenin, Paul Kellogg58. David Lynch, Todd McGowan59. Karl Marx, Sami Khatib60. Quentin Meillassoux, Daniel Sacilotto61. John Milbank, Marika Rose62. Friedrich W. J. Schelling, Joseph CarewPART X: Concepts63. Act, Ed Pluth64. Big Other, Dominik Finkelde65. Chiasm, Moritz Kuhlmann66. Christianity, Luca Di Blasi67. Concrete Universality, Marc De Kesel68. Death Drive, Dany Nobus69. Desire/Drive, Henrik Jøker Bjerre70. Enjoy!, Ed Pluth71. Fantasy, Russell Sbriglia72. Forced Choice, Rex Butler73. God, Rasmus Nagel74. Ideology, Sami Khatib75. Interpellation, Mariana Schütt76. Jouissance, Joseph Carew77. Law, Dominik Finkelde78. Master Signifier, Matthew Sharpe79. Negativity, Reinhard Heil80. Objet Petit a, Leonard Weiss81. Parallax, Rex Butler82. Phantasm, Marc De Kesel83. Queer Theory, Chris Coffman84. Real, Imaginary, Symbolic, Joseph Carew85. Retroactivity, Seraphin Frimmer86. Sinthome/Symptom, Dominiek Hoens87. Split Subject, Thomas Brockelman88. Sublime Objects (of Ideology), Matthew Sharpe89. Substance (Is Subject), Dominik Finkelde90. Thing, Joseph Carew91. Unconscious, Tony Thwaites92. Universal-Particular, Hilary Neroni93. Vanishing Mediator, Tony Thwaites94. Violence, Hyun Kang KimPART XI: AppendixList of ContributorsIndex

Dominik Finkelde is Professor of Epistemology and Contemporary Philosophy at the Munich School of Philosophy, Germany. He is the co-editor of Žižek Responds! (Bloomsbury, 2023) and has published on contemporary philosophy and German Idealism.

If, as Hegel claimed, the task of philosophy is to grasp one’s time in thought, no contemporary thinker has better discharged it than Slavoj Žižek who has, over the last four decades, provided the cognitive maps that have allowed us to orient ourselves amidst the political, economic, and cultural turbulence of the post-Cold War “order.” With his new Handbook to Slavoj Žižek , Dominik Finkelde has made it possible for readers to make full use of Zizek’s extraordinary body of work. Composed of multiple sections written by a team of distinguished thinkers and dedicated to historical contexts, individual publications, intellectual influences, motifs, and concepts, the Handbook will guide and deepen our engagement with Zizek’s thought for years to come.

• PrefacePART I: Life1. Žižek’s Intellectual Biography: Brutalism and Metaphysics, Dominik FinkeldePART II: Contexts2. Žižek and Neue Slowenische Kunst, Björn Quiring3. Žižek’s Poetry: Early Engagements with the Slovene Avant-Garde, Kaitlyn Sorenson4. The Legacy of Poststructuralism, Marc De Kesel5. On Finitude: Heidegger and Žižek, Thomas Brockelman6. Enjoy! Neo-Capitalism and the Duty to Enjoy, Henrik Jøker Bjerre7. Radical Democratic Theory: Laclau, Mouffe, Rancière, Butler, Oliver Flügel-Martinsen8. The Legacy of Christianity, Rebekka A. Klein9. Speculative Realism (Žižek and Meillassoux, Harman, and Gabriel), Daniel Sacilotto10. Neuroscience, Cogito, and Consciousness, Glyn Daly11. Justice, Law, and Violence, Hyun Kang Kim12. The Ljubljana School: Imaginary Institution, Real Effects, Henrik Jøker BjerrePART III: Work 1 – Ideology Studies and Critical Theory13. The Sublime Object of Ideology (1989), Dominik Finkelde14. For They Know Not What They Do: Enjoyment as a Political Factor (1991), Ed Pluth15. Looking Awry (1991) and Enjoy Your Symptom! (1992), Joseph Carew16. The Metastases of Enjoyment (1994), Joseph Carew17. The Plague of Fantasies (1997), Coraly von Welser18. Organs without Bodies (2004), Robert SinnerbrinkPART IV: Work 2 – German Idealism and Psychoanalysis19. The Most Sublime Hysteric (2014), Seraphin Frimmer20. Tarrying with the Negative (1993), Martin Eleven21. The Indivisible Remainder (1996), Joseph Carew22. The Ticklish Subject (1999), Martin Eleven23. The Parallax View (2006), Rex Butler24. Less Than Nothing (2012), Reinhard Heil25. Absolute Recoil (2014), Benedikt Wissing26. Sex and the Failed Absolute (2019), Max FeslPART V: Work 3 – Religion and Christianity27. The Fragile Absolute (2000), Rasmus Nagel28. On Belief (2001), Rebekka A. Klein29. The Puppet and the Dwarf (2003), Rasmus Nagel30. The Monstrosity of Christ (2009), Marika RosePART VI: Work 4 – Radical Politics31. Revolution at the Gates (2002), Paul Kellogg32. The Political Suspension of the Ethical (2005), Simon Faets33. In Defense of Lost Causes (2008), Mariana Schütt34. “Enjoyment within the Limits of Reason Alone” (2001), Leonard Weiss35. Violence: Six Sideways Reflections (2008), Hilary NeroniPART VII: Work 5 – Film, Art, and Technology36. The Fright of Real Tears (2001), Dany Nobus37. The Art of the Ridiculous Sublime (2000), Marek Wieczorek38. Antigone (2016), Matic Kocijancic39. Hegel in a Wired Brain (2020), Dominik FinkeldePART VIII: Themes and Leitmotifs40. Initial Insights: In Praise of Early Žižek, Mladen Dolar41. Topology and Logical Time: Žižek’s Aesthetic of the Signifier, Andrew Cutrofello and Simon Hajdini42. Parallax, Negativity, and Dialectical Materialism, Frank Ruda43. Cosmogony Recapitulates Ontogeny, Adrian Johnston44. Dialectics Contra Phenomenology, Todd McGowan45. Postmodern Enjoyment, Matthew FlisfederPART IX: Philosophical Sources46. Louis Althusser, Russell Sbriglia47. Alain Badiou, Paul Livingston48. Judith Butler, Paul Eisenstein49. Jacques Derrida, Dominik Finkelde50. Sigmund Freud, Dominik Finkelde51. Georg W. F. Hegel, Robert Sinnerbrink52. Martin Heidegger, Thomas Brockelman53. Alfred Hitchcock, Hyun Kang Kim54. Immanuel Kant, Dany Nobus55. Jacques Lacan, Dominik Finkelde56. Ernesto Laclau, Oliver Flügel-Martinsen57. Vladimir I. Lenin, Paul Kellogg58. David Lynch, Todd McGowan59. Karl Marx, Sami Khatib60. Quentin Meillassoux, Daniel Sacilotto61. John Milbank, Marika Rose62. Friedrich W. J. Schelling, Joseph CarewPART X: Concepts63. Act, Ed Pluth64. Big Other, Dominik Finkelde65. Chiasm, Moritz Kuhlmann66. Christianity, Luca Di Blasi67. Concrete Universality, Marc De Kesel68. Death Drive, Dany Nobus69. Desire/Drive, Henrik Jøker Bjerre70. Enjoy!, Ed Pluth71. Fantasy, Russell Sbriglia72. Forced Choice, Rex Butler73. God, Rasmus Nagel74. Ideology, Sami Khatib75. Interpellation, Mariana Schütt76. Jouissance, Joseph Carew77. Law, Dominik Finkelde78. Master Signifier, Matthew Sharpe79. Negativity, Reinhard Heil80. Objet Petit a, Leonard Weiss81. Parallax, Rex Butler82. Phantasm, Marc De Kesel83. Queer Theory, Chris Coffman84. Real, Imaginary, Symbolic, Joseph Carew85. Retroactivity, Seraphin Frimmer86. Sinthome/Symptom, Dominiek Hoens87. Split Subject, Thomas Brockelman88. Sublime Objects (of Ideology), Matthew Sharpe89. Substance (Is Subject), Dominik Finkelde90. Thing, Joseph Carew91. Unconscious, Tony Thwaites92. Universal-Particular, Hilary Neroni93. Vanishing Mediator, Tony Thwaites94. Violence, Hyun Kang KimPART XI: AppendixList of ContributorsIndex

Dominik Finkelde is Professor of Epistemology and Contemporary Philosophy at the Munich School of Philosophy, Germany. He is the co-editor of Žižek Responds! (Bloomsbury, 2023) and has published on contemporary philosophy and German Idealism.

If, as Hegel claimed, the task of philosophy is to grasp one’s time in thought, no contemporary thinker has better discharged it than Slavoj Žižek who has, over the last four decades, provided the cognitive maps that have allowed us to orient ourselves amidst the political, economic, and cultural turbulence of the post-Cold War “order.” With his new Handbook to Slavoj Žižek , Dominik Finkelde has made it possible for readers to make full use of Zizek’s extraordinary body of work. Composed of multiple sections written by a team of distinguished thinkers and dedicated to historical contexts, individual publications, intellectual influences, motifs, and concepts, the Handbook will guide and deepen our engagement with Zizek’s thought for years to come.

• PrefacePART I: Life1. Žižek’s Intellectual Biography: Brutalism and Metaphysics, Dominik FinkeldePART II: Contexts2. Žižek and Neue Slowenische Kunst, Björn Quiring3. Žižek’s Poetry: Early Engagements with the Slovene Avant-Garde, Kaitlyn Sorenson4. The Legacy of Poststructuralism, Marc De Kesel5. On Finitude: Heidegger and Žižek, Thomas Brockelman6. Enjoy! Neo-Capitalism and the Duty to Enjoy, Henrik Jøker Bjerre7. Radical Democratic Theory: Laclau, Mouffe, Rancière, Butler, Oliver Flügel-Martinsen8. The Legacy of Christianity, Rebekka A. Klein9. Speculative Realism (Žižek and Meillassoux, Harman, and Gabriel), Daniel Sacilotto10. Neuroscience, Cogito, and Consciousness, Glyn Daly11. Justice, Law, and Violence, Hyun Kang Kim12. The Ljubljana School: Imaginary Institution, Real Effects, Henrik Jøker BjerrePART III: Work 1 – Ideology Studies and Critical Theory13. The Sublime Object of Ideology (1989), Dominik Finkelde14. For They Know Not What They Do: Enjoyment as a Political Factor (1991), Ed Pluth15. Looking Awry (1991) and Enjoy Your Symptom! (1992), Joseph Carew16. The Metastases of Enjoyment (1994), Joseph Carew17. The Plague of Fantasies (1997), Coraly von Welser18. Organs without Bodies (2004), Robert SinnerbrinkPART IV: Work 2 – German Idealism and Psychoanalysis19. The Most Sublime Hysteric (2014), Seraphin Frimmer20. Tarrying with the Negative (1993), Martin Eleven21. The Indivisible Remainder (1996), Joseph Carew22. The Ticklish Subject (1999), Martin Eleven23. The Parallax View (2006), Rex Butler24. Less Than Nothing (2012), Reinhard Heil25. Absolute Recoil (2014), Benedikt Wissing26. Sex and the Failed Absolute (2019), Max FeslPART V: Work 3 – Religion and Christianity27. The Fragile Absolute (2000), Rasmus Nagel28. On Belief (2001), Rebekka A. Klein29. The Puppet and the Dwarf (2003), Rasmus Nagel30. The Monstrosity of Christ (2009), Marika RosePART VI: Work 4 – Radical Politics31. Revolution at the Gates (2002), Paul Kellogg32. The Political Suspension of the Ethical (2005), Simon Faets33. In Defense of Lost Causes (2008), Mariana Schütt34. “Enjoyment within the Limits of Reason Alone” (2001), Leonard Weiss35. Violence: Six Sideways Reflections (2008), Hilary NeroniPART VII: Work 5 – Film, Art, and Technology36. The Fright of Real Tears (2001), Dany Nobus37. The Art of the Ridiculous Sublime (2000), Marek Wieczorek38. Antigone (2016), Matic Kocijancic39. Hegel in a Wired Brain (2020), Dominik FinkeldePART VIII: Themes and Leitmotifs40. Initial Insights: In Praise of Early Žižek, Mladen Dolar41. Topology and Logical Time: Žižek’s Aesthetic of the Signifier, Andrew Cutrofello and Simon Hajdini42. Parallax, Negativity, and Dialectical Materialism, Frank Ruda43. Cosmogony Recapitulates Ontogeny, Adrian Johnston44. Dialectics Contra Phenomenology, Todd McGowan45. Postmodern Enjoyment, Matthew FlisfederPART IX: Philosophical Sources46. Louis Althusser, Russell Sbriglia47. Alain Badiou, Paul Livingston48. Judith Butler, Paul Eisenstein49. Jacques Derrida, Dominik Finkelde50. Sigmund Freud, Dominik Finkelde51. Georg W. F. Hegel, Robert Sinnerbrink52. Martin Heidegger, Thomas Brockelman53. Alfred Hitchcock, Hyun Kang Kim54. Immanuel Kant, Dany Nobus55. Jacques Lacan, Dominik Finkelde56. Ernesto Laclau, Oliver Flügel-Martinsen57. Vladimir I. Lenin, Paul Kellogg58. David Lynch, Todd McGowan59. Karl Marx, Sami Khatib60. Quentin Meillassoux, Daniel Sacilotto61. John Milbank, Marika Rose62. Friedrich W. J. Schelling, Joseph CarewPART X: Concepts63. Act, Ed Pluth64. Big Other, Dominik Finkelde65. Chiasm, Moritz Kuhlmann66. Christianity, Luca Di Blasi67. Concrete Universality, Marc De Kesel68. Death Drive, Dany Nobus69. Desire/Drive, Henrik Jøker Bjerre70. Enjoy!, Ed Pluth71. Fantasy, Russell Sbriglia72. Forced Choice, Rex Butler73. God, Rasmus Nagel74. Ideology, Sami Khatib75. Interpellation, Mariana Schütt76. Jouissance, Joseph Carew77. Law, Dominik Finkelde78. Master Signifier, Matthew Sharpe79. Negativity, Reinhard Heil80. Objet Petit a, Leonard Weiss81. Parallax, Rex Butler82. Phantasm, Marc De Kesel83. Queer Theory, Chris Coffman84. Real, Imaginary, Symbolic, Joseph Carew85. Retroactivity, Seraphin Frimmer86. Sinthome/Symptom, Dominiek Hoens87. Split Subject, Thomas Brockelman88. Sublime Objects (of Ideology), Matthew Sharpe89. Substance (Is Subject), Dominik Finkelde90. Thing, Joseph Carew91. Unconscious, Tony Thwaites92. Universal-Particular, Hilary Neroni93. Vanishing Mediator, Tony Thwaites94. Violence, Hyun Kang KimPART XI: AppendixList of ContributorsIndex