Cornelius Castoriadis

Cornelius Castoriadis (1922–1997) was a Greek-French philosopher, sociologist, social critic, economist, and psychoanalyst. He is considered a seminal figure in 20th-century continental thought, particularly known for his concepts of the social imaginary, autonomy, and heteronomy. Born in Constantinople, he moved to Athens at a young age, where he became involved in Marxist and Trotskyist circles. In 1945, he moved to Paris and, with Claude Lefort, co-founded the influential journal *Socialisme ou Barbarie*, which critiqued both state capitalism and traditional Marxism. Castoriadis's major work, *The Imaginary Institution of Society* (1975), explores how societies create their own meanings and institutions through the social imaginary. He also made significant contributions to psychoanalysis and the philosophy of history. His ideas on autonomy, self-creation, and the critique of bureaucratic capitalism have had a lasting impact on political and intellectual thought.