On the Shores of Politics

Jacques Ranciere argues that political realism is always several steps behind reality and that what has succeeded the polemical forms of class struggle is the return of old fears, criminality, and chaos. He aims to restore philosophy to politics and give politics back its original and necessary meaning: the organization of dissent.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 128 pages
Publication date: 16 March 2021
Publisher: Verso Books

It is often asserted that we are currently experiencing the culmination of politics, the conclusion of social transformations, and the end of utopian delusions. The prevailing mindset is one of consensual realism, where order and stability are prioritized. However, political realists, as noted by Jacques Ranciere, often lag behind the actual state of affairs, and their dominance may ultimately lead to the demise of democracy. In these insightful and perceptive essays, Ranciere contends that politics has consistently been portrayed as the art of ending politics since the time of Plato and Aristotle. He further argues that realism itself is utopian and that the prevailing forms of class struggle have given way to the resurgence of ancient fears, criminality, and chaos. Whether he is delving into the confrontations between Mitterrand and Chirac, the discourse of the French working class following the 1830 revolution, or the ideology of recent student mobilizations, Ranciere's overarching objective is to reintegrate philosophy into politics and restore its original and vital purpose: the organization of dissent.

Weight: 112g
Dimension: 128 x 198 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781788739665