On Populist ReasonWhat are the political logics explaining the spread of populist experiences in the contemporary world? What is involved in constructing the idea of the people? And how does this construction relate to other forms of political subjectivity -- classes, corporations and other forms of association? Laclau's analysis of populist experiences begins with a critique of current approaches to populism, illustrated by two essential cases: the formation of a popular identity in French Jacobinism, and the dissolution of such an identity in the aftermath of British Chartism. This is followed by a discussion of the classical theories of mass psychology -- by Le Bon, Tarde, Freud, etc. -- and of the role of the lumpenproletariat in Marx's work. Finally Laclau examines a series of historical examples of populism, drawn mainly from American, Canadian, Argentinian and Turkish experiences |
Contents
Populism Ambiguities and Paradoxes | 3 |
Le Bon Suggestion and Distorted Representations | 21 |
Suggestion Imitation Identification | 31 |
CONSTRUCTING THE PEOPLE | 65 |
The People and the Discursive Production of Emptiness | 67 |
Floating Signifiers and Social Heterogeneity | 129 |
Populism Representation and Democracy | 157 |
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Common terms and phrases
actors analysis antagonism antagonistic approach articulation asserts becomes cathected central Chantal Mouffe Chartist common conceived concept constitution construction crowd crowd psychology democracy democratic demands differential dimension discourse discussion distinction ego ideal elements emergence empty signifier equivalence equivalential chain equivalential logics Ernesto Laclau established ethnic forces Freud frontier function Ginneken hegemonic heterogeneous historical homogeneous Ibid identification ideological individual internal involves Jacques Rancičre kind Lacanian Laclau leader Lega Nord limits lumpenproletariat Margaret Canovan Marx mass means movement objet petit ontic ontological operation overdetermination partial object particular Party Perón Peronist plebs plurality political popular identities populism populist possible proletariat psychology purely question radical Rancičre regime relation representation result revolution rhetoric role sense Serge Moscovici Slavoj Žižek social demands society structure struggle symbolic Tarde terrain theoretical theory tion totality tradition unity universal vis-ŕ-vis whole Žižek
References to this book
Logics of Critical Explanation in Social and Political Theory Jason Glynos,David R. Howarth No preview available - 2007 |
Politics on the Edges of Liberalism: Difference, Populism, Revolution, Agitation Benjamín Arditi No preview available - 2007 |