Can Precariousness Be the Foundation of Agonistic Relationships?: A dialog between Butler, Mouffe and Laclau

Radical democracy is a political theory whose central problem is the dilemma of the plural. This dilemma consists of understanding democratic politics as a locus of antagonisms. In other words, conflict and dissent are fundamental elements of democracy. However, antagonism need not be annihilating. Agonistic relationships are relationships that keep the antagonistic conflict open without necessarily leading to annihilation. This adversarial transformation necessarily occurs through the recognition of a common foundation for all. However, it is not possible to identify within radical democracy what this common ground might be. The hypothesis is that the notion of precariousness formulated by Judith Butler can be seen as the foundation of these relationships. This is because precariousness is a generalized condition that reveals our need for other people in order to make up for a certain lack. Precariousness therefore reveals that we are lacking and incomplete. In this way, the generality of precariousness stimulates opposition to violence directed at others, even when these others are far from us or don't seem to share any of our values.

Pagina's: 104, Paperback, Our Knowledge Publishing