Influential, exciting and often controversial, psychoanalytic theory has had a major impact in the humanities and social sciences.In a new edition of this classic book, Anthony Elliott masterfully introduces the reader to psychoanalytic theory.• discusses leading psychoanalytic theorists - from Freud to Lacan, Klein to Kristeva, Žižek to Laplanche;• examines the political and cultural dimensions of psychoanalytic studies, from feminism to postmodernism;• contains new material on Lacanian and post-Lacanian theory, the post-Kleinian psychoanalyst Wilfred Bion, psychoanalytic feminism and deconstructive psychoanalysis. Written by one of the world's leading social theorists, this engaging and influential text is essential reading for anyone wanting to learn about psychoanalytic theory and its cultural importance in our lives.