Negative Revolution: Modern Political Subject and its Fate After the Cold War

Description

This thought-provoking work analyzes concrete political events and reinterprets key concepts in modern political science. Building on the works of Kant, Badiou, Adorno, Hegel, and more, it posits that the dynamics of revolution can be encapsulated in the concept of negation, since a revolution essentially negates “what is” by rejecting the power in place. The work argues that revolution is the true ground of Western democracy and that the proof of a true democracy is the activity of protest movements. It discusses how modern philosophy conceives political truth as revolutionary or eventful, and that one aspect of revolution is negativity, which fluctuates between inertia and melancholia. It examines the problem of revolution in the context of modern philosophy, providing a diagnosis of the historical developments since the fall of the Soviet Union to the Arab Spring, setting forth an original theory of revolution while shedding light on the notion of negativity in contemporary thought. This innovative work will appeal to anyone interested in political theory and political philosophy. HalfTitle Series Title Copyright Contents Introduction The situation The definition The word and the concept Objections On this book 1 The Russian Anti-Communist Revolution (1985–99) and the French Revolution (1789–99) The Russian anti-communist revolution The Russian anti-communist revolution and the French Revolution Melancholia: Its definition and its sources Conclusion 2 What Does It Mean to Say “No”? Theories of Negativity Introduction Negativity in philosophy Negativity and politics Conclusion: Negativity and revolution 3 Theories of Revolution Kant’s theory of revolution Hölderlin on revolution: Leisure and reversal Hegel on the French Revolution: Kings and cabbages Marx’s negative revolution Sorel and Benjamin: Critique of pure negation Hannah Arendt’s On Revolution: The impasse of the passage Badiou and the negativity of revolution Conclusion Conclusion Notes Index