Πάθη και πολιτική: Τα διακυβεύματα της δημοκρατίας

Abstract

During the last decade or so political theory has been dominated by the idea that the antagonistic model of politics, as well as the opposition between left and right, have been superseded by processes of consensual politics, especially in Western democracies. This standpoint, which is characteristic of the work of U. Beck, A. Giddens, and others, builds on the conceptualisation of a second or reflexive modernity, which is supposed to move beyond the friend-enemy opposition (C. Schmitt), typical of the industrial societies of the first modernity. What they highlight is a sub-politics model that focuses on dealing with contemporary life-and-death problems. However, oppositions and antagonisms continue to exist in contemporary societies, and this realisation should lead to the development of an agonistic politics registering the plurality of ideas, interests and identities, and creating a dynamic public sphere able to sustain political projects representing the desires of the people.