Αντινομίες του φορμαλισμού: η κατά Laclau θεώρηση του λαϊκισμού και ο ελληνικός θρησκευτικός λαϊκισμός

Abstract

The work of Ernesto Laclau constitutes one of the most common references in almost every discussion on populism. The first aim of this paper is to present the main theoretical and analytical parameters of his discursive approach, which still retains its relevance. Special emphasis is given to Laclau’s relevant texts from the late 1970s, as well as to the ways in which his subsequent work can benefit the analysis of populist discourse. The importance of this approach is further illustrated, in the second part of this text, through the analysis of a concrete empirical case: the recent politicisation of the discourse of the Church of Greece and Archbishop Christodoulos. Finally, the concluding part of this essay is devoted to a discussion of Laclau’s more recent work on populism, in which we witness a further strengthening of the formalist character of his approach. While Laclau’s account marks an important advance in the conceptualisation of this elusive category, his recent views may reveal the ultimate limits of a formalist approach to this important political phenomenon.