Badiou, Balibar, Ranciere: Re-thinking Emancipation

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In recent years there has been increased interest in three contemporary French philosophers, all former students of Louis Althusser and each now an influential thinker in his own right. Alain Badiou is one of the most important living continental thinkers, well-known for his pioneering theory of the Event. Etienne Balibar has forged new approaches to democracy, citizenship and what he describes as 'equaliberty'. Jacques Rancire has crossed boundaries between history, politics and aesthetics and his work is beginning to receive the attention it deserves. Nick Hewlett brings these three thinkers together, examining the political aspects of their work. He argues that in each of their systems there are useful and insightful elements that make real contributions to the understanding of the modern history of politics and to the understanding of contemporary politics. But he also identifies and explores problems in each of Badiou, Balibar and Rancire's work, arguing that none offers a wholly convincing approach. This is a must-have for students of contemporary continental philosophy.

Reviews

"[In] Badiou, Balibar and Rancire...[Hewlett] provides a brief and clear presentation of their work, explaining the context in which it originated and, on that basis, it identifies perceived limitations in their theories." - Pablo Lafuente, Radical Philosophy, 2008
'A subtle, uncluttered and suggestive series of interpretations which will do much to stimulate further reseearch into these innovative political philosophers.' - Political Studies Review
Mention - Chronicle of Higher Education, February 15, 2008

Author Bio

Nick Hewlett is Professor of French Studies and Chair of the Department at the University of Warwick, UK. His previous publications include Modern French Politics (1998), Contemporary France: Politics, Economics and Society Since 1945 (as co-author, 2000) and Democracy in Modern France (Continuum, 2003).