Contemporary Political Theory 7 (4):376–394 (2008)
Authors |
|
Abstract |
Agonism is a political theory that places contestation at the heart of politics. Agonistic theorists charge liberal theory with a depoliticization of pluralism through an excessive focus on consensus. This paper examines the agonistic critiques of liberalism from a normative perspective. I argue that by itself the argument from pluralism is not sufficient to support an agonistic account of politics, but points to further normative commitments. Analyzing the work of Mouffe, Honig, Connolly, and Owen, I identify two normative currents of agonistic theory: emancipatory agonism, aimed at challenging violence and exclusion, and perfectionist agonism, aimed at the cultivation of nobility. From a normative perspective the former presents an internal challenge to liberalism, while the latter constitutes an external challenge to liberalism by providing a competing account of the ends of politics. Recognition of the distinction between emancipatory and perfectionist agonism is crucial in assessing the purchase of agonistic critiques of liberalism. Furthermore, this analysis draws us beyond the simple opposition between contestation and consensus. It is not simply a question of valuing genuine pluralism and therefore criticizing consensus; rather the question comes to be: what are the ends of politics?
|
Keywords | agonism liberalism emancipation perfectionism pluralism contestation |
Categories | (categorize this paper) |
DOI | doi:10.1057/cpt.2008.15 |
Options |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Download options
References found in this work BETA
Between Facts and Norms: Contributions to a Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy.Jürgen Habermas (ed.) - 1996 - Polity.
Between Facts and Norms: Contributions to a Discourse Theory of Law and Democracy.Frank I. Michelman & Jurgen Habermas - 1996 - Journal of Philosophy 93 (6):307.
View all 40 references / Add more references
Citations of this work BETA
On the Limits of the Political: The Problem of Overly Permissive Pluralism in Mouffe's Agonism.Ugur Aytac - 2021 - Constellations 28 (3):417-431.
Judicial Decision-Making, Ideology and the Political: Towards an Agonistic Theory of Adjudication.Rafał Mańko - 2022 - Law and Critique 33 (2):175-194.
Enlightenment Liberalism and the Challenge of Pluralism.Matthew Jones - 2012 - Dissertation, Canterbury Christ Church University
Chantal Mouffe's Agonistic Project: Passions and Participation.Matthew Jones - 2014 - Parallax 20 (2):14-30.
Restoring Society to Post-Structuralist Politics: Mouffe, Gramsci and Radical Democracy.Will Leggett - 2013 - Philosophy and Social Criticism 39 (3):299-315.
View all 11 citations / Add more citations
Similar books and articles
Institutionalizing Agonistic Democracy: Post-Foundationalism and Political Liberalism.Edward C. Wingenbach - 2011 - Ashgate.
Games Without Frontiers? Democratic Engagement, Agonistic Pluralism and the Question of Exclusion.Robert W. Glover - 2012 - Philosophy and Social Criticism 38 (1):81-104.
No Contest? Assessing the Agonistic Critiques of Jürgen Habermas’s Theory of the Public Sphere.John S. Brady - 2004 - Philosophy and Social Criticism 30 (3):331-354.
Freedom After the Critique of Foundations: Marx, Liberalism, Castoriadis and Agonistic Autonomy.Alexandros Kioupkiolis - 2012 - Palgrave-Macmillan.
The Opening : Alegality and Political Agonism.Hans Lindahl - 2008 - In Andrew Schaap (ed.), Law and Agonistic Politics. Ashgate Pub. Company.
Agonism, Antagonism and the Necessity of Care.Keith Breen - 2008 - In Andrew Schaap (ed.), Law and Agonistic Politics. Ashgate Pub. Company.
The Democratic Agonism of the Ancients Compared to That of the (Post)Moderns.Andreas Kalyvas - 2008 - In Andrew Schaap (ed.), Law and Agonistic Politics. Ashgate Pub. Company.
Religious Political Parties and the Limits of Political Liberalism.Matteo Bonotti - 2011 - Res Publica 17 (2):107-123.
Analytics
Added to PP index
2011-10-20
Total views
1,579 ( #3,065 of 2,498,019 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
80 ( #9,331 of 2,498,019 )
2011-10-20
Total views
1,579 ( #3,065 of 2,498,019 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
80 ( #9,331 of 2,498,019 )
How can I increase my downloads?
Downloads