From the theory of 'deliberative democracy' to the politics of the 'third way', the present Zeitgeist is characterized by attempts to deny what Chantal Mouffe contends is the inherently conflictual nature of democratic politics. Far from being signs of progress, such ideas constitute a serious threat to democratic institutions. Taking issue with John Rawls and Jurgen Habermas on one side, and the political tenets of Blair, Clinton and Schroeder on the other, Mouffe brings to the fore the paradoxical nature of modern liberal democracy in which the category of the 'adversary' plays a central role. She draws on the work of Wittgenstein, Derrida, and the provocative theses of Carl Schmitt, to propose a new understanding of democracy which acknowledges the ineradicability of antagonism in its workings.
A new understanding of democracy that acknowledges the inescapable and essential antagonism in its workingsAbout the AuthorChantal Mouffe is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Democracy at the University of Westminster. Her books include
The Return of the Political;
Hegemony and Socialist Strategy (with Ernesto Laclau);
The Dimensions of Radical Democracy;
Gramsci and Marxist Theory;
Deconstruction and Pragmatism;
The Democratic Paradox; and
The Challenge of Carl Schmitt, all from Verso.
ReviewsImportant and timely. * Political Theory *
Book InformationISBN 9781844673551
Author Chantal MouffeFormat Paperback
Page Count 144
Imprint Verso BooksPublisher Verso Books
Weight(grams) 176g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 132mm * 15mm