An ambitious but successful project. This critical overview of contemporary french thought focuses on the continuing role of the subject and traces the overlap and the distance between the theories of Althusser, Lacan, Derrida, Foucault and situates them in relation to the thought of Spinoza, Hegel and brings in the works of many other contemporary figures. This study is great for bringing out key themes in an instructive and critical manner, especially for the student who is advanced in philosophy but lacks specialized knowledge in this area of thought. A great introduction into current debates on subjectivity, the unconscious, language and social structures, etc... and surely of interest to those with a deeper background as well.