Politics on the edges of liberalism : difference, populism, revolution, agitation

"Politics on the edges of liberalism" refers to a grey zone where phenomena such as difference, populism, revolution and agitation turn the distinction between the inside and the outside of liberalism into a matter of dispute.Each chapter takes on one of these ideas, discussing the intellectual background animating the politics of the culture wars and its celebration of particularism over the universalism of classical liberal thought. Populism becomes a spectral recurrence rather than an outside of democracy. Agitation reappears in emancipatory politics, and the idea of revolution is thought through outside the Jacobin view of insurrection, overthrow and total re-foundation.This is truly interdisciplinary inquiry at the cutting edge of contemporary debates in politics, critical theory, philosophy and sociology. The author draws from an impressive range of thinkers such as Kant, Benjamin, Derrida, Freud, Schmitt, Ranci?re, Gramsci, Canovan, Oakeshott, Foucault, Vattimo, Laclau and ?i?ek. Despite the complexity of his reasoning, he writes with the reader in mind, presenting his ideas clearly and persuasively and drawing on examples from recent political history to illuminate his arguments.Key Features:· Difference, populism, revolution and agitation are key concepts in contemporary political thought· This is the first book to bring these concepts together in a consideration of a politics 'beyond' or 'on the edge' of liberalism· Features the work of major contemporary political theorists including Kant, Benjamin, Derrida, Freud, Schmitt, Ranci?re, Gramsci, Canovan, Oakeshott, Foucault, Vattimo, Laclau and ?i?ek An innovative exploration of ways of thinking and doing politics that challenge liberal assumptions. 'Politics on the edges of liberalism' refers to a grey zone where phenomena such as difference, populism, revolution and agitation turn the distinction between the inside and the outside of liberalism into a matter of dispute. Each chapter takes on one of these ideas, discussing the intellectual background animating the politics of the culture wars and its celebration of particularism over the universalism of classical liberal thought. Populism becomes a spectral recurrence rather than an outside of democracy. Agitation reappaers in emancipatory politics, and the idea of revolution is thought through outside the Jacobin view of insurrection, overthrow and total re-foundation. This is truly interdisciplinary inquiry at the cutting edge of contemporary debates in politics, critical theory, philosophy and sociology. The author draws from an impressive range of thinkers such as Kant, Benjamin, Derrida, Freud, Schmitt, Ranciere, Gramsci, Canovan, Oakeshott, Foucault, Vattimo, Laclau and Zizek. Depsite the complexity of his reasoning, he writes with the reader in mind, presenting his ideas clearly and persuasively and drawing on examples from recent political history to illuminate his arguments. Key Features *Provides a novel theory of populism*Presents a new concept of revolution*Considers a different way of thinking about emancipation*Clarity of argument ensures accessibility to a broad readership 9780748625116 Contents 6 Acknowledgements 8 Foreword 9 Introduction: the Edges as an Internal Periphery 12 1. The Underside of Difference and the Limits of Particularism 21 Semiotics and Some Programmatic Consequences of the Culture Wars 21 A Post-Modern Society? Vattimo’s Wager 27 A More Cautious Optimism 32 The Underside of Disorientation 35 The Underside of Multiplicity 40 Universals, the Discourse of Rights and Liberalism 45 2. Populism as a Spectre of Democracy 53 Populism and Democracy 53 The Gap between Faith and Scepticism and the Elusiveness of Populism 57 Spectral Recurrences 60 3. Populism as an Internal Periphery of Democratic Politics 65 The Verbal Smoke Surrounding Populism 65 Populism as a Mode of Representation 71 Populism as a Symptom of Democratic Politics 85 Populism as an Underside of Democracy 92 4. Stirred and Shaken. From ‘the Art of the Possible’ to Emancipatory Politics 99 The Realist Coding of the Possible 90 101 The Impossible as Supplement 104 Agitation as Unveiling/Translation 107 Emancipation, Revolutionizing and the Interstitial Region of Politics 111 5. Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution: the End of Mourning 118 The Mourning After 118 Polemicizing the Limit: how Radical does a Radical Change have to Be? 121 The Play between the Promise and the Figure 129 Revolutionary Realism as Enthusiasm for the Impossible 135 Figures of the Promise and the Iterability of Revolution 143 Postcards of a Socialist Imaginary 150 Bibliography 159 Index 170 Politics on the edges of liberalism refers to a grey zone where phenomena such as difference, populism, revolution and agitation turn the distinction between the inside and the outside of liberalism into a matter of dispute.Each chapter takes on one of these ideas, discussing the intellectual background animating the politics of the culture wars and its celebration of particularism over the universalism of classical liberal thought. Populism becomes a spectral recurrence rather than an outside of democracy. Agitation reappears in emancipatory politics, and the idea of revolution is thought through outside the Jacobin view of insurrection, overthrow and total re-foundation.This is truly interdisciplinary inquiry at the cutting edge of contemporary debates in politics, critical theory, philosophy and sociology. The author draws from an impressive range of thinkers such as Kant, Benjamin, Derrida, Freud, Schmitt, Rancière, Gramsci, Canovan, Oakeshott, Foucault, Vattimo, Laclau and 'politics On The Edges Of Liberalism' Refers To A Grey Zone Where The Distinction Between 'inside' And 'outside' Is A Matter Of Dispute. It Is Called Into Question By A Series Of Phenomena Which Are Animating The Politics Of The Culture Wars Difference, Populism, Revolution And Agitation. The Underside Of Difference And The Limits Of Particularism -- Populism As A Spectre Of Democracy -- Populism As An Internal Periphery Of Democratic Politics -- Stirred And Shaken : From The Art Of The Possible To Emancipatory Politics -- Talkin' 'bout A Revolution : The End Of Mourning. Benjamin Arditi. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [148]-157) And Index. Explores ways of thinking and doing politics that challenge liberal assumptions. Each chapter in this book works through a particular school of thought to show how it can be used to confront standard beliefs about the notion of society governed by liberal ideas.