Henri Lefebvre has been celebrated as one of the most influential social theorists of the Twentieth Century. Understanding Henri Lefebvre: Theory and the Possible places Lefebvre in his historical and intellectual context and analyses the extraordinary range of his work, across politics, philosophy, history, literature and culture. Particular emphasis is given to the three thinkers who most strongly influenced Lefebvre - Hegel, Marx and Nietzsche; his links to contemporaries such as Heidegger, Axelos and the Situationists; and his critiques of existentialism and structuralism. Analysis is not confined to his writings on cities, but also covers those on rural communities, the production of space connected to ideas of time and history, and everyday life linked to the festival and cultural revolution. Understanding Henri Lefebvre: Theory and the Possible offers the most wide-ranging and reliable account of this central theorist.
The Marxist philosopher and social thinker Henri Lefebvre (1901-1991), in his own words, saw "philosophy as a critical conscience on real life." In this thematic overview of Lefebvre's work, Elden pays particular attention to the political and philosophical underpinnings of Lefebvre's views.
