Polemicization: The Practice of Afoundationalism

by Benjamin Arditi, Jeremy Valentine

Overview

At the cutting edge of political theory, this first volume in the Taking on the Political Series reflects the conceptual foundations of the series, opening up space to the political by engaging in and redefining polemics. In recognition of the collapse of the traditional belief in strong foundations for the political domain and the ungrounding of politics generally, the authors introduce and map the concept of afoundationalism while tackling such themes as social structure, ethical argumentation and political organization. Provocative and engaging, this book will change ways of thinking about and approaching political theory both in teaching and research.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780814706893
Publisher:	New York University Press
Publication date:	09/01/1999
Series:	Taking on the Political , #2
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.42(d)

About the Author

Benjamin Arditi is Reasearch Fellow at the Instituto Mora, Mexico City.

Jeremy Valentine is Research Associate at the Institute for Cultural Research,Lancaster University.

Table of Contents

	Preface	vii
1	Polemic and Polemicization	1
1.1	Polemic and the Commonplace	1
1.2	The Commonplace of Political Modernity	12
1.3	Polemicizing the Commonplace	21
2	Polemicization and Political Philosophy	30
2.1	Polemicization and Attitude	30
2.2	Polemicization and the Political	36
2.3	Polemicization and Critique	43
2.4	Polemicization and Metaphysics	52
2.5	Polemicization and Plurality	59
3	Polemicizing Subjectivity	71
3.1	The Modern Subject	71
3.2	The Basic Antagonism	79
3.3	Outing the Subject	88
3.4	Who Wants to be Popular?	95
4	Polemicizing Universals	106
4.1	The Persistence of Universals	106
4.2	The Pragmatics of the Referent	114
4.3	Deliberation and Confrontation	118
4.4	Undecidability and the Impurity of Universals	125
4.5	Commonality Through Polemics	133
	Bibliography	143
	Index	151

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From the Publisher

"Timely and well conceived."

-Ernesto Laclau, University of Essex

Ernesto Laclau

Timely and well conceived.
—Ernesto Laclau, University of Essex

Editorial Reviews

"Timely and well conceived."

Universityof Essex Ernesto Laclau

"Timely and well conceived."

- Ernesto Laclau, University of Essex

From the Publisher

"Timely and well conceived."

University of Essex Ernesto Laclau