Freedom after the critique of foundations : Marx, liberalism, Castoriadis, and agonistic autonomy

An exploration of the contemporary re-conception of freedom after the critique of objective truths and ideas of an unchanging human nature, in which modern self-determination was grounded. This book focuses on the radical theorist Cornelius Castoriadis and the new paradigm of 'agonistic autonomy' is contrasted with Marxian and liberal approaches. Freedom After the Critique of Foundations engages with the work of the Greek-French thinker Cornelius Castoriadis, a founding member of the Socialisme ou Barbarie group whose ideas inspired the French May '68, in order to formulate an account of agonistic autonomy for individuals and societies. This is a critical conception of freedom which informs a broad spectrum of contemporary political thought and practice, ranging from theories of agonistic democracy and Foucault's ethic of 'care for the self' to the liberal pluralism of Joseph Raz, post-anarchist thought and contemporary movements for global justice and 'real democracy'. The discussion shows how agonistic autonomy brings together imagination, radical reflection, self-creation, pluralism and an ongoing struggle against closed identities in order to challenge and enhance Marxian and liberal ideas of freedom. The book tackles the problem of relativism and addresses a wider range of ontological, ethical and political questions raised by an agonistic outlook which dismisses objective foundations in science, history and morality Front Matter....Pages i-vi Introduction....Pages 1-10 Marx on a Tightrope: The Essence of Freedom and the Movement of Becoming....Pages 11-43 Kantian Transcendence and Beyond....Pages 44-62 Knowledge and Practice in Trouble: A Reasonable Way Out of Ontological Traps....Pages 63-82 Liberal Detours and Their Mishaps: Negative Liberty, Isaiah Berlin and John Stuart Mill....Pages 83-105 Agonic Subjectivity and the Stirrings of the New....Pages 106-122 The Social, the Imaginary and the Real....Pages 123-148 Freedom, Agonism and Creative Praxis....Pages 149-178 Post-Critical Liberalism and Agonistic Freedom....Pages 179-197 Post-Foundational Reason and Sustainable Affirmation....Pages 198-225 Conclusion: Past Agonies and Present Openings of Freedom....Pages 226-239 Back Matter....Pages 240-276 "The idea of international political theory after Hobbes is a timely and lively focus through which to raise questions about international politics. Contributors explore Hobbes views on contemporary international political theory and on international relations in the context of the history of political thought and Hobbesian realism"-- Provided by publisher Global justice is of every increasing importance in the contemporary political world. This volume brings a hitherto overlooked perspective - the politics of recognition - to bear on this idea. It considers how discussion of each of these illuminates the problems posed by the other, thus addressing an issue of vital concern for the years to come