International Journal of Žižek Studies

Infobox Journal
title = International Journal of Žižek Studies


editor = Paul Taylor, David Gunkel
discipline = Philosophy, Critical Theory
language = English, Polish,
abbreviation = IJŽS
publisher = International Journal of Žižek Studies
country = En
history = 2007 to present
openaccess = Yes
website = http://zizekstudies.org
link1 = http://zizekstudies.org/index.php/ijzs/index
link1-name = About IJŽS
ISSN = 1751-8229
OCLC = 85773857

History

IJŽS was launched in 2007 as a scholarly outlet for a diverse range of perspectives and disciplinary approaches to the work of Slavoj Žižek, a hard-to-categorize Slovenian critical philosopher and cultural theorist who, with an inimitable blend of provocation and deep insight, has imaginatively applied his mix of German Idealist philosophy and Lacanian pyschoanalytical theory to a stunning range of cultural and political topics. The journal is edited by Paul Taylor [ [http://ics.leeds.ac.uk/staff/details.cfm?id=17 Paul Taylor's staff page at Institute of Communications Studies, University of Leeds -- External Link] ] and David Gunkel [ [http://www.gunkelweb.com/gunkel.html David Gunkel's personal page -- External Link] ] .

The open access journal seeks to maximise the potential of the online format by providing international access in terms of both free content and various non-English original articles/translations.

The original idea for the Journal grew directly from the similarly online International Journal of Baudrillard Studies edited by Gerry Coulter at Bishops University in Quebec. This publication suggested a constructive solution to the ironic situation of scholars studying radical thinkers, but exhibiting conservative attitudes to the practicalities of disseminating their work. The online format of IJŽS is designed to suit the topical nature of his output (Gunkel:2007) [ [http://www.zizekstudies.org/index.php/ijzs/article/view/15/38 Gunkel, David (2007) 'Why Žižek, Why Online?' "International Journal of Žižek Studies" Vol 1. no. 1 (online) Accessed 24 August, 2008] ] ) and creates a space for scholarly discussion to help avoid the co-optation of his critical edge by the sound-bite culture of the mainstream media - in Jean Baudrillard's phrase, the 'mortal dose of publicity' that all too often kills off the substance of radical thought.

Influence of Žižek's parallax view

The journal was influenced by the need to create a space for critical inquiry, precipitated by a "crisis in scholarly publishing in the humanities" [ [http://openhumanitiespress.org/about-ohp.html See the About page at Open Humanities Press] ] . In today's mediated public sphere, those interested in radical thought are forced to seek it in the interstices not dominated by a predominantly uncritical, alarmingly self-referential and mutually back-slapping media corps, who, despite the fact that, 'if they believed something different they wouldn't be sitting where they're sitting' (Edwards and Cromwell 2003: 90) [ [http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/19149/ Edwards, D. and Cromwell, D. (2005). "Guardians of Power: The Myth of the Liberal Media", London: Pluto.] ] still pride themselves upon their professional and intellectual integrity. Meanwhile, one keenly felt, but little discussed (at least in any official capacity), current aspect of excessively managerialised university life [ [http://oxcheps.new.ox.ac.uk/BibSSI/OxBibD.htm See bibliography on managerialism in universities at Oxford Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies -- External Link] ] [The Edu-Factory project has highlighted this issue and has started a series of international dialogues on the future of the university] is the degree to which the exploration of ideas for their own sake increasingly has to be argued for rather than simply assumed as the default mode of an academic. Truly inquisitive intellectuals now frequently find themselves in a situation akin to that of a devout Catholic at the time of the Borgias -- struggling in the midst of a papal orgy to find space to say the rosary.

Well-armed as he is from his early career experiences of Communist bureaucracy in the former Yugoslavia, and having apparently perfected a highly successful peripatetic scholarly existence to be envied by the average chalkface scholar, Žižek is an inspirational figure for the manner in which he makes light of the these difficulties faced by critical thought. Žižek's work combines intellectual chutzpah and brio with a level of theoretical complexity that provides a welcome antidote to not only the inherent intellectual limitations created by the media's insular culture and pre-inscribed grammars, but also the stereotypical communicational failures of scholars who are not always averse to "making Homer sound like balance sheets and balance sheets sound like Homer" (Davies 1996: 23) [ [http://www.edgehill.ac.uk/research/saet/publications2.htm Davies, M. L. (1996), 'University culture or intellectual culture' in B. Brecher, O. Fleischmann and J. Halliday (eds.) "The University in a Liberal State", Aldershot: Avebury.] ] .

Recognition by Open Humanities Press

The journal is recognised by Open Humanities Press [Open Humanities Press is an international open access publishing collective in critical and cultural theory.] for its "outstanding contribution to contemporary theory" along with journals Cosmos and History, Culture Machine, Fibreculture, Film-Philosophy, Parrhesia, and Vectors.

Open Journal System

The journal makes use of the Open Source Open Journal Systems to publish and distribute its issues.

References

External links

* [http://zizekstudies.org International Journal of Žižek Studies]
* [http://openhumanitiespress.org/ Open Humanities Press]
* [http://www.edu-factory.org/ Edu Factory]
* [http://www.ubishops.ca/BaudrillardStudies/index.html International Journal of Baudrillard Studies]
* [http://intertheory.org/taylorandruiz.htm Kritikos interview with the editor of IJZS on the launch of the journal]