‘Event, politics, and space: Rancière or Badiou’?

Abstract

This paper takes a critical view of Rancière’s ideas on politics, subjectivity, and space by building on the criticisms offered by Alain Badiou in a series of critical exchanges between the two authors. The first part of the paper reviews the main points of difference between them, which centre around their different interpretations of what constitutes a political event, subjectivity, and the nature of radical politics. Later sections then develop these differences with respect to further issues concerning the nature of political spaces, the pre-evental, and political organization.

Keywords:

• Rancière
• Badiou
• political events
• subjects and subjectivities
• political spaces
• local organization and political strategy

Notes on contributor

Dr Keith Bassett is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Geographical Sciences at the University of Bristol. His current research and teaching engages with current Continental political philosophy and his most recent articles have addressed the work of Alain Badiou and Jacques Rancière.