The Perverted Core of Everyday Reality: Ideological Critique in the Post-9/11 Era

Author: Wu Guanjun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-11-01
Features: "I love you, but therefore, I must reject you!" (Photography by Liao Guiyan, Danting Peak, 2005) The analytical approach adopted by Wu Guanjun is unique, and the thinking space he opens up is exciting. — Tao Dongfeng
This collection by Wu Guanjun is a rare "interdisciplinary" one in the current context. It not only aims to break down disciplinary boundaries but also to reveal and critique the disciplinary essentialism behind "interdisciplinary" practices. Moreover, it seeks to dismantle the ideological division between high culture and popular culture. More importantly, Wu Guanjun's critical efforts are to terminate the false "happiness" in contemporary society and enable people to confront the real suffering around them. — Deng Zhenglai
An imaginative era needs imaginative critique; what makes Wu Guanjun valuable is that he not only has imagination but also ideals. — Tong Shijun
This book is an "interdisciplinary" philosophical practice that breaks down the boundaries of "disciplines" such as philosophy, political science, economics, law, sociology, theology, psychoanalysis, cultural studies, women's studies, international relations, film studies, and more. It also dismantles the ideological division between high culture and low culture. It is a critical practice of engagement and transgression by an intellectual toward "the present." This critical engagement is not only an analysis of the symptoms of our time but also an effort in itself: to disrupt the smooth functioning of the real world and reveal its symptoms. In today's "empire" (the symbolic global order), the author intends for this book to "awaken us from reality."