Alhelí Alvarado 1 Castoriadis, Clastres, Abensour, Rancière: Thinking Radical Democracy Alhelí Alvarado-Díaz [email protected]Tahrir Square, Egypt 2011 Course Description This seminar will introduce students to the thought of four influential thinkers in the field of radical philosophy from 1945 to the present. Beginning with Castoriadis and ending with Rancière, the seminar will explore key debates in the reinterpretation of democracy’s revolutionary nature and the necessary steps to restore its implicit radicalism. The seminar will offer opportunities to reflect on the connections between democratic politics and revolutionary theory, particularly in connection with the history of radical social movements and radical theory during and after the 1960s. The seminar will adopt an interdisciplinary angle, emphasizing the innovative contributions from the political anthropological and psychoanalytical fields. Through active seminar discussion and paper writing projects, students should be able to reconstruct the intellectual genealogy of radical democratic theory in the context of the four authors under study, as well as to envision alternative options for the revival of a radical democratic tradition today. The seminar will present the dilemmas and challenges of connecting the theory of radical democracy to its practice in everyday life.
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CourseDescriptionThis seminarwill introduce students to the thoughtof four influential thinkers inthefieldofradicalphilosophyfrom1945tothepresent.BeginningwithCastoriadisand ending with Rancière, the seminar will explore key debates in thereinterpretation of democracy’s revolutionary nature and the necessary steps torestoreitsimplicitradicalism.Theseminarwillofferopportunitiestoreflectontheconnections between democratic politics and revolutionary theory, particularly inconnectionwiththehistoryofradicalsocialmovementsandradical theoryduringandafterthe1960s.Theseminarwilladoptaninterdisciplinaryangle,emphasizingtheinnovativecontributionsfromthepoliticalanthropologicalandpsychoanalyticalfields. Through active seminar discussion and paper writing projects, studentsshouldbeabletoreconstructtheintellectualgenealogyofradicaldemocratictheoryin the context of the four authors under study, aswell as to envision alternativeoptions for the revival of a radical democratic tradition today. The seminarwillpresentthedilemmasandchallengesofconnectingthetheoryofradicaldemocracytoitspracticeineverydaylife.
ReadingsCastoriadis, “The Greek Polis and the Creation of Democracy”, “Dead End?”,Philosophy,Politics,AutonomyCastoriadis,“RecommencingtheRevolution”,“MarxismandRevolutionaryTheory”,“PresentationofSocialismeouBarbarie”,TheCastoriadisReaderCastoriadis, “Marxism: A Provisional Assessment”, The Imaginary Institution ofSocietySessionII:CorneliusCastoriadis’TheoryofPoliticalAutonomy
ReadingsCastoriadis,“RadicalImaginationandtheSocialInstitutingImaginary”,“DoneandtobeDone”,TheCastoriadisReaderCastoriadis, “Intellectuals and History”, “The End of Philosophy?”, Philosophy,Politics,AutonomySessionV:Castoriadis’SocialCreativityandtheRedefinitionofDemocracyReadingsCastoriadis,“TheSocialHistoricalInstitution”,“SocialImaginarySignifications”,TheImaginaryInstitutionofSociety
SessionVI:PierreClastres’PoliticalAnthropology
ReadingsClastres, “Savage Ethnography”, “Primitive Economy”, “Marxists and theirAnthropology”,ArchaeologyofViolenceSessionVII:TrueDemocracyaccordingtoSocietyagainsttheState
SessionX:TheCommuneversustheInstitutional:Abensour’sCritiqueoftheStateReadingsAbensour, “The Four Characteristics of True Democracy”, “True Democracy andModernity”, “SavageDemocracy and the Principle of Anarchy”,DemocracyagainsttheStateSessionXI:Rancière’sVisionofRadicalDemocracy
ReadingsRancière, “Plato’s Lie”, “Marx’s Labor”, “The Philosopher and the Sociologist”,ThePhilosopherandhisPoor
Comparative Conclusions: Insights, Hopes and Unresolved Dilemmas in TheImaginary Institution of Society, Society against the State, Democracy against theStateandStagingthePeople