Thinking Politics – serie

This book surveys Michel Foucault’s thought in the context of his life and times, utilising the latest primary and secondary materials to explain the political implications of each phase of his work and the relationships between each phase. It also illustrates how his thought has been used in the political sphere and examines the importance of his work for politics today.

This book provides students and experts alike with a new kind of introduction to Slavoj Zizek's political theory. Going beyond recounting Zizek's positions on ideology, capitalism, Leninism, Stalinism, fascism, and related matters, it offers readers an argumentative reconstruction of Zizek's ideas which places his prolific output in critical dialogue with political philosophy, critical theory, and the history of ideas.But this reconstruction is also a cautionary tale. It argues that Zizek, since 1995, has turned away from the Lacanian and Hegelian insights that made his first works so ground-breaking. Instead, Zizek and Politics examines how he has come to embrace a much more bleak, neo-Hobbesian position whose political implications are profoundly ambivalent.Key Features*Surveys all of Zizek's works from 1989 to 2008, focusing on the way his ideas concerning politics have developed*Includes concise reconstructions of Zizek's key political and philosophical ideas including ideology, the subject, the symptom, the ideological fantasy and the superego*Brings Zizek's ideas into dialogue with other key political thinkers and traditions*Situates Zizek's ideas in terms of contemporary political debates about the nature of justice, democracy, law and violence*Makes a new argument about Zizek's politics, moving debates concerning his work on to new terrain and putting the manifold criticisms of Zizek's work on a new footing

This book provides students and experts alike with a new kind of introduction to Slavoj Zizek's political theory. Going beyond recounting Zizek's positions on ideology, capitalism, Leninism, Stalinism, fascism, and related matters, it offers readers an argumentative reconstruction of Zizek's ideas which places his prolific output in critical dialogue with political philosophy, critical theory, and the history of ideas.But this reconstruction is also a cautionary tale. It argues that Zizek, since 1995, has turned away from the Lacanian and Hegelian insights that made his first works so ground-breaking. Instead, Zizek and Politics examines how he has come to embrace a much more bleak, neo-Hobbesian position whose political implications are profoundly ambivalent.Key Features*Surveys all of Zizek's works from 1989 to 2008, focusing on the way his ideas concerning politics have developed*Includes concise reconstructions of Zizek's key political and philosophical ideas including ideology, the subject, the symptom, the ideological fantasy and the superego*Brings Zizek's ideas into dialogue with other key political thinkers and traditions*Situates Zizek's ideas in terms of contemporary political debates about the nature of justice, democracy, law and violence*Makes a new argument about Zizek's politics, moving debates concerning his work on to new terrain and putting the manifold criticisms of Zizek's work on a new footing

Tracing how the logic of inoperativity works in the domains of language, law, history and humanity, 'Agamben and Politics' systematically introduces the fundamental concepts of Agamben's political thought and a critically interprets his insights in the wider context of contemporary philosophy. In a change of focus from Agamben's other commentators, Sergei Prozorov brings out the affirmative mood of Agamben's political thought. He concentrates on the concept of inoperativity, which has been central to Agamben's thought from his earliest writings.

Introduces you to the promises and problems of Charles Taylor's thought in major contemporary debatesCharles Taylor is one of the most influential contemporary philosophers, arguably the most important living political philosopher writing in English. 'Taylor and Politics' assesses Taylor's thought and its relevance to contemporary political challenges, especially religion and secularity, multicultural diversity, political alienation and demands for greater democracy. Craig Browne and Andrew Lynch outline Taylor's key concepts and highlight the substantive applications of his ideas. They explain the substantial differences between Taylor's conception of social imaginaries and that of Cornelius Castoriadis, and contrast Taylor's account of the political form of modernity with Claude Lefortas.

Introduces you to the promises and problems of Charles Taylor's thought in major contemporary debatesCharles Taylor is one of the most influential contemporary philosophers, arguably the most important living political philosopher writing in English. 'Taylor and Politics' assesses Taylor's thought and its relevance to contemporary political challenges, especially religion and secularity, multicultural diversity, political alienation and demands for greater democracy. Craig Browne and Andrew Lynch outline Taylor's key concepts and highlight the substantive applications of his ideas. They explain the substantial differences between Taylor's conception of social imaginaries and that of Cornelius Castoriadis, and contrast Taylor's account of the political form of modernity with Claude Lefortas.

Introduces the wide-ranging thought of the liberal philosopher Martha Nussbaum and considers how it relates to contemporary political issuesIntroduces key ideas of a major contemporary philosopherImpacts on contemporary political issues such as multiculturalism, religious accommodation, animal rights and feminismEach chapter focuses on at least one major text Providing an overview of the political and ethical philosophy of Martha Nussbaum, this book presents the ideas of this significant philosopher and shows how her thought, while rooted in the traditions of classical philosophy, illuminates a number of current, controversial issues. The book takes a chronological approach and aims to show how Nussbaum's thought has continually grown and developed. It takes the reader through her views on ethics, political philosophy, feminism and women's rights, LGBT issues, animal rights, religious tolerance and accommodation, contemporary politics, and global justice. It also explores contested areas of her thought, such as the extent to which she is a perfectionist liberal, challenges to her view that religion merits special accommodations, utilitarian objections to the capabilities approach, criticisms of her brand of liberal feminism, and cosmopolitan objections to her nation-state-based liberal conception of global justice. Each chapter focuses on a book from a different stage of her career, starting with her first book, The Fragility of Goodness and ending with her most recent, The Cosmopolitan Tradition.

Providing an overview of the political and ethical philosophy of Martha Nussbaum, this book presents the ideas of this significant philosopher and shows how her thought, while rooted in the traditions of classical philosophy, illuminates a number of current, controversial issues. The book takes a chronological approach and aims to show how Nussbaum’s thought has continually grown and developed. It takes the reader through her views on ethics, political philosophy, feminism and women’s rights, LGBT issues, animal rights, religious tolerance and accommodation, contemporary politics, and global justice. It also explores contested areas of her thought, such as the extent to which she is a perfectionist liberal, challenges to her view that religion merits special accommodations, utilitarian objections to the capabilities approach, criticisms of her brand of liberal feminism, and cosmopolitan objections to her nation-state-based liberal conception of global justice. Each chapter focuses on a book from a different stage of her career, starting with her first book, The Fragility of Goodness and ending with her most recent, The Cosmopolitan Tradition.

Presents Judith Butler's interest in plurality of bodily lives and her search for a social transformation conducive to a more livable worldOffers a novel understanding of Butler' work as a call for an insurrection at the level of the realProvides a framework based on an intersection of four main pillar-concepts, performativity, agency, livable life and non-violenceReads Butler's philosophy as centred on bodiesReads Butler's work as a convincing counter-argument against liberal versions of ontologyThis book is the only monograph-length study of the work of Judith Butler to focus on the entire scope of her work, including the last decade of her writing. In light of these texts, it presents a fresh interpretation of Butler's political thought, oriented by the idea of an insurrection at the level of the real.Chapters on ontology, performativity, agency and precariousness, a liveable life and non-violence explain how Butler's thought has always been focused on embodied performances. Instead of seeing Butler as simply a thinker of the subversive performance of cultural scripts, the book frames her work for the twenty-first century as an ambitious and coherent egalitarian alternative to liberal political philosophy.Each chapter introduces a Butlerian concept, clarifying this in the context of critical debates, while explaining its contribution to a new social ontology whose key normative principle is a liveable life. The book explores the potential of this conceptual framework not just in relation to the politics of gender, but also to questions of social inequality, structural violence and the experience of precarity. Designed for both researchers and students, it provides a comprehensive way of accessing what is radically original about this crucial political theorist.

This book is the only monograph-length study of the work of Judith Butler to focus on the entire scope of her work, including the last decade of her writing. It presents a completely new interpretation of Butler's political thought, oriented by the idea of an insurrection at the level of the real. Instead of seeing Butler as a thinker of the subversive performance of cultural scripts, the book frames her work for the twenty-first century as an ambitious and coherent egalitarian alternative to liberal political philosophy. The chapters explore the potential of this conceptual framework in relation to questions of social inequality, violence and the experience of precarity. Designed for both researchers and students, the book provides a comprehensive way of accessing what is radically original about this crucial political theorist.

Nancy Fraser and Politics is a systematic reconstruction of the work of Nancy Fraser, a key contemporary figure of critical theory and socialist feminism. It argues that Fraser's critical theory is a powerful and sophisticated analytical prism for diagnosing the breadth of empirical variety and depth of structural causality of injustice and domination in the 'actually existing' capitalist democracies of today, and for informing and inspiring numerous political movements struggling for societal emancipation. Ivkovi? and Zari? demonstrate that a key aspect of Fraser's critical theory, her structural approach to domination which traces the manifold empirical injustices to a common root cause, is a thread that runs through her entire opus.

Nancy Fraser and Politics is a systematic reconstruction of the work of Nancy Fraser, a key contemporary figure of critical theory and socialist feminism. It argues that Fraser's critical theory is a powerful and sophisticated analytical prism for diagnosing the breadth of empirical variety and depth of structural causality of injustice and domination in the ‘actually existing’ capitalist democracies of today, and for informing and inspiring numerous political movements struggling for societal emancipation. Ivković and Zarić demonstrate that a key aspect of Fraser’s critical theory, her structural approach to domination which traces the manifold empirical injustices to a common root cause, is a thread that runs through her entire opus.

Jürgen Habermas has come to be viewed as the unofficial philosopher laureate of the European Union. But why have his contributions to contemporary political theory commanded such attention? This book brings to life the ideas of a unique thinker, an heir to the Enlightenment legacy, a champion of reason and democracy, a social theorist of unusual sophistication and an astute commentator on contemporary politics. Unified by a central focus on the theme of power, the book guides its readers through the sociological and philosophical perspectives that are essential to Habermas’s political theory. It situates the philosopher’s political thinking in relation to key Continental theorists such as Carl Schmitt and Michel Foucault as well as current debates in contemporary Anglo-American political philosophy.

Jürgen Habermas has come to be viewed as the unofficial philosopher laureate of the European Union. But why have his contributions to contemporary political theory commanded such attention? This book brings to life the ideas of a unique thinker, an heir to the Enlightenment legacy, a champion of reason and democracy, a social theorist of unusual sophistication and an astute commentator on contemporary politics. Unified by a central focus on the theme of power, the book guides its readers through the sociological and philosophical perspectives that are essential to Habermas’s political theory. It situates the philosopher’s political thinking in relation to key Continental theorists such as Carl Schmitt and Michel Foucault as well as current debates in contemporary Anglo-American political philosophy.

Bringing together Luce Irigaray’s early psychoanalytically orientated writings with her more recent and more explicitly political writings, Irigary and Politics weaves together the ontological, political and ethical dimensions of Irigaray’s philosophy of sexuate difference in imaginative ways. Laura Roberts argues that Irigaray’s philosophical–political project must be read as a critique of constructions of western modernity and rationality. When appreciated in this way, it becomes clear how Irigaray’s thought makes profound interventions into contemporary political movements and decolonial thought – themes that have never been covered before in Irigaray scholarship. This enables readers to recognise that the question of sexual difference in Irigaray’s philosophy is concerned not only with refiguring politics and political action, but with the foundational structures that govern existence itself.

Bringing together Luce Irigaray’s early psychoanalytically orientated writings with her more recent and more explicitly political writings, Irigary and Politics weaves together the ontological, political and ethical dimensions of Irigaray’s philosophy of sexuate difference in imaginative ways. Laura Roberts argues that Irigaray’s philosophical–political project must be read as a critique of constructions of western modernity and rationality. When appreciated in this way, it becomes clear how Irigaray’s thought makes profound interventions into contemporary political movements and decolonial thought – themes that have never been covered before in Irigaray scholarship. This enables readers to recognise that the question of sexual difference in Irigaray’s philosophy is concerned not only with refiguring politics and political action, but with the foundational structures that govern existence itself.

It is Jean François Lyotard’s political focus that singles him out from his poststructuralist and postmodernist contemporaries. He is invariably 'thinking politics': finding ways of translating philosophical thought into a basis for political action. Stuart Sim explores how Lyotard’s brand of pragmatism can provide a focus for political theory and action in our cultural climate, especially in light of the dramatic resurgence of right-wing extremism.

It is Jean François Lyotard’s political focus that singles him out from his poststructuralist and postmodernist contemporaries. He is invariably 'thinking politics': finding ways of translating philosophical thought into a basis for political action. Stuart Sim explores how Lyotard’s brand of pragmatism can provide a focus for political theory and action in our cultural climate, especially in light of the dramatic resurgence of right-wing extremism.

Offers a new perspective on Arendt as a political thinker as well as a political actorProvides succinct, critical summaries of Arendt's major works and how they have been readShares insights into the main controversies of Arendt's lifetime and their resolutionPresents an overview of interpretive approaches to Arendt's work and its relevance todayHannah Arendt has been classified as a critical theorist, a phenomenologist, an anti-feminist, a feminist ally, a democratic theorist, a republican theorist, a Heidegerrian, and a nostalgic Hellenophile. This book responds to these perspectives in two ways. First, we recognize that one can legitimately derive all these positionings from one or another of her writings; second, we insist nevertheless and precisely because all these approaches play some role in her work that her readers ought to follow her own claim that she 'does not belong to any club'. Instead, we introduce her works as exercises in political thinking, treating her as a dialogue partner, whose judgments and opinions remain open for reflection and discussion.