Hatred of Democracy

Front Cover
Verso, 2006 - Philosophy - 106 pages
Jacques Rancière was a student of Althusser before he famously turned against his mentor; now, he's regarded as one of the major thinkers of our age. In his new book, he examines how the West can no longer simply extol the virtues of democracy by contrasting it with the horrors of totalitarianism. As certain governments are exporting democracy by brute force, and a reactionary strand in mainstream political opinion is willing to abandon civil liberties and destroy collective values of equality, Rancière explains how democracy--government by all--is the principle that de-legitimates any form of power based on the superiority of those who govern. Hence the fear, and consequently the hatred, of democracy amongst the new ruling class.

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Contents

Introduction
1
Politics or the Lost Shepherd
33
Democracy Republic Representation 51 1
51
Copyright

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About the author (2006)

Jacques Ranciere is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris-VIII. His books include "The Politics of Aesthetics," "On the Shores of Politics," "Short Voyages to the Land of the People," "The Nights of Labor," "Staging the People," and "The Emancipated Spectator."

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