100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock πŸ‡³πŸ‡Ώ

Overnight NZ-wide delivery on in-stock orders πŸš€

The Return of the Political

3.73 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating.
( 279 ratings, 28 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In The Return of the Political, Chantal Mouffe explores the complexity of contemporary democratic politics, stressing the importance of acknowledging the inherent antagonisms within political discourse. The book argues for a model of "agonistic pluralism" that recognises conflict and dissent as vital to democratic vitality, challenging the consensus-driven approach often seen in current political practices. Mouffe advocates for the reinvigoration of political engagement by embracing diverse views and open debate as essential to a healthy democracy.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
TEMPORARILY OUT OF STOCK Please add to wishlist to be notified when back in stock

Sorry, we're currently out of stock of The Return of the Political. Please add to your Wishlist and we'll send you an email as soon as it's back in stock.

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book might appeal to you if you are intrigued by the complexities of political discourse and the dynamics of democracy. It explores themes around political conflict and the challenge of pluralism, inviting you to consider the necessity of vibrant political debate in a democratic society. If you're keen on understanding the role of antagonism in politics and seeking fresh perspectives on democratic engagement, this may be a thought-provoking read for you.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

A powerful new understanding of citizenship, democracy and pluralism

A powerful new understanding of citizenship, democracy and pluralism.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Chantal Mouffe is one of the most influential political theorists at work today. Her work has influenced political parties across Europe and continues to inform the direction of left politics.

In this work, The Return of the Political, Mouffe argues that liberal democracy misunderstands the problems of ethnic, religious, and nationalist conflicts because of its inadequate conception of politics.

Series: Radical Thinkers

View all
  • Hatred of Democracy
    In this vehement defence of democracy, Jacques Rancière explodes the complacency of Western politicians who pride themselves as the defenders of political freedom. As America and its allies use their military might in the misguided attempt to export a desiccated version of democracy, and reactionary strands in mainstream political opinion abandon civil liberties, Rancière argues that true democracy—government by all—is...
    Paperback
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Judaism and Modernity
    Judaism and Modernity: Philosophical Essays challenges the philosophical presentation of Judaism as the sublime 'other' of modernity. Here, Gillian Rose develops a philosophical alternative to deconstruction and post-modernism by critically re-engaging the social and political issues at stake in every reconstruction.
    Paperback
    $7600
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Late Marxism
    In the name of an assault on "totalization" and "identity," a number of contemporary theorists have been busily washing Marxism's dialectical and utopian projects down the plug-hole of postmodernism and "post-politics." A case in point is a recent interpretation of one of the greatest twentieth-century philosophers, Theodor Adorno. In this powerful book, Fredric Jameson proposes a radically different reading of...
    Paperback
    $5500
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Critique of Economic Reason
    AndrΓ© Gorz's earlier booksβ€”from Ecology as Politics to Farewell to the Working Class and Paths to Paradiseβ€”have informed and inspired the most radical currents in Green movements in Europe and America over the last two decades. In Critique of Economic Reason, he offers his fullest account to date of the terminal crisis of a system where every activity and aspiration...
    Paperback
    $7500
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Ethics of the Real
    The idea of Kantian ethics is both simple and revolutionary: it proposes a moral law independent of any notion of a pre-established Good or any 'human inclination' such as love, sympathy, or fear. In attempting to interpret such a revolutionary proposition in a more 'humane' light, and to turn Kant into our contemporaryβ€”someone who can help us with our own...
    Paperback
    $2899
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Spinoza and Politics
    With Hobbes and Locke, Spinoza is arguably one of the most important political philosophers of the modern era, a premier theoretician of democracy and mass politics. In this revised and augmented English translation of his 1985 classic, Spinoza et la Politique, Γ‰tienne Balibar presents a synoptic account of Spinoza's major works, admirably demonstrating relevance to his contemporary political life. Balibar...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Reading Capital
    Establishing a rigorous programme of "symptomatic reading" that cuts through the silences and lacunae of Capital to reveal its philosophical core, Louis Althusser interprets Marx's structural analysis of production as a revolutionary breakβ€”the basis of a completely new science. Building on a series of Althusser's conceptual innovations that includes "overdetermination" and "social formation," Γ‰tienne Balibar explores the historical and structural...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • In Search of Wagner
    Written in exile from Germany, this potent study of Europe's most controversial composer explodes the frontiers of musical and cultural analysis. Measuring key elements of Wagner's oeuvre with patent musical dexterity, Adorno sheds light on a nineteenth-century bourgeois figure whose operas betray the social gestures and high-culture fantasies that helped plant the seeds of the modern Culture Industry. A foreword...
    Paperback
    $6600
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Indivisible Remainder
    The feature which distinguishes the great works of materialist thought, from Lucretius' De rerum natura through Capital to the writings of Lacan, is their unfinished character: again and again they tackle their chosen problem. Schelling's Weltalter drafts belong to this same series, with their repeated attempt at the formulation of the "beginning of the world," of the passage from the...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • From Marxism to Post-Marxism?
    In this succinct and panoramic workβ€”both stimulating for the specialist and accessible to the general readerβ€”one of the world's leading social theorists, GΓΆran Therborn, tackles the question of the trajectory of Marxism in the twentieth century and its legacy for radical thought in the twenty-first. Addressing the history of critical theory from the contemporary vantage-point characterised by postmodernism, post-Marxism and...
    Paperback
    $2699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Straight Sex
    Is heterosexual sex inherently damaging to women? Is it possible for women to enjoy sensuality and pleasure with men that does not increase male power? Lynne Segal's unflinching examination of feminist thinking on sexuality over the past twenty-five years tackles these questions head on. Only two decades ago, politically aware women often declared themselves both sexual liberationists and feministsβ€”their right...
    Paperback
    $6500
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The System of Objects
    The System of Objects delves into the intricate world of commodities and consumer culture. Jean Baudrillard meticulously dissects the objects that populate our everyday lives, transforming them into symbols and emblems of our contemporary society. Through a series of theoretical reflections, the book unravels the very fabric of material culture and its profound implications for how we understand our existence...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Chantal Mouffe's The Return of the Political is described as evocative and challenging, making it an indispensable read in the field of political theory. Critics praise Mouffe for her political prescience, noting how her work has influenced left-wing parties and politicians in their democratic struggles. Additionally, her ability to anticipate contemporary political climates is highlighted, showcasing her relevance and foresight.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781788738569

Publisher: Verso Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 24 March 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Verso Books

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 12.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 150g

Pages: 176

About the Author

Chantal MouffeΒ is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Democracy at the University of Westminster. Her books includeΒ The Return of the Political;Β Hegemony and Socialist StrategyΒ (with Ernesto Laclau);Β The Dimensions of Radical Democracy;Β Gramsci and Marxist Theory;Β Deconstruction and Pragmatism;Β The Democratic Paradox; andΒ The Challenge of Carl Schmitt, all from Verso.

Also by Chantal Mouffe

View all
  • Towards a Green Democratic Revolution
    In recent years, the promises of the populist moment have faltered, as seen in the defeats of Jeremy Corbyn, Bernie Sanders, and Jean-Luc MΓ©lenchon. In addition, the pandemic has brought about a strong need for protection, creating a favourable terrain for authoritarian forms of politics. This new situation represents a challenge for the left, whose rationalism and modernist idea of...
    Hardback
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks

More from Politics & Current Affairs

View all
  • New Release
    One Last Question, Prime Minister
    From Muldoon to Luxon, untold stories from the House of Parliament Barry Soper has spent close to five decades questioning New Zealand's prime ministers.From the imposing, larger-than-life characters of Rob Muldoon and David Lange, to the golden age of Helen Clark and John Key, and the post-Covid era of Jacinda Ardern and the 'Chrises', Soper's insight and nose for a...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    Regime Change
    From the two reporters who have covered him more closely than perhaps anyone else over the past decade comes this definitive portrait of Donald Trump in the White House and the first year of his second presidency. Based on hundreds of interviews and unprecedented reporting from deep within the administration’s most closely guarded rooms, Regime Change takes the reader into...
    Paperback
    $3299
    Elsewhere:
    $4299
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    A Different Kind of Power
    #1 New Zealand bestseller #1 Amazon bestseller #2 Audible bestseller #3 New York Times bestseller #3 Sunday Times bestseller #4 Australian bestseller From the former prime minister of New Zealand, then the world’s youngest female head of government and just the second to give birth in office, comes a deeply personal memoir chronicling her extraordinary rise and offering inspiration to...
    Paperback
    $3200
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • A Different Kind of Power
    Ockham Winner
    A Different Kind of Power
    What if we could redefine leadership? What if kindness came first? Jacinda Ardern grew up the daughter of a police officer in small-town New Zealand, but as the 40th Prime Minister of her country, she commanded global respect for her empathetic leadership that put people first. This is the remarkable story of how a Mormon girl plagued by self-doubt made...
    Hardback
    $4799
    Elsewhere:
    $5999
    (7)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Signed Copy
    Go Hard or Go Home
    From the front bench to rock bottom:Β Go Hard or Go HomeΒ is Kiri Allan's fearless memoir of ambition, disruption and survival in NZ politics and beyond. Kiri Allan's six-year political career spanned some of the most challenging times in recent history. Events a government might encounter once in a generation stacked up: a terrorist attack, a volcanic eruption, destructive and deadly...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $4000
    Pre-order
    Out 4 Aug 2026
  • New Release
    Suicidal Empathy
    The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • New Release
    The Day After: How to Wield Power in a Post-Trump World
    From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shameless, Brian Tyler Cohen explores how Republicans have abused power, how Democrats have refused to exercise power when they held it, and how progressives should wield power if they are fortunate enough to win a free and fair election in a post-Trump world. The Day After: How to Wield Power in...
    Paperback
    $3099
    Elsewhere:
    $3799
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Careless People
    Shocking and darkly funny, Careless People gives you a front-row seat to the decisions that are shaping our world and the people who make them. Welcome to Facebook. Sarah Wynn-Williams, a young diplomat from New Zealand, pitched for her dream job. She saw Facebook's potential and knew it could change the world for the better. But, when she got there...
    Paperback
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Discipline
    Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...
    Paperback
    $4000
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • Shattered Lands
    'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' – PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation … both original and important' – MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...
    Paperback
    $3699
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • The Handmaid's Tale
    The bestselling dystopian classic that became a cultural phenomenon and inspired an award-winning TV series. THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER Go back to where it all began with the dystopian novel behind the award-winning TV series. 'As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it.' Guardian I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no...
    Paperback
    $2000
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships today
  • This Way Up
    The debut book from the YouTube sensation and all-round cartographical nerds, The Map Men! In their long-awaited debut, YouTube’s Map Men bring their highly infectious enthusiasm for everything map-related to the printed page for the very first time, in a brilliantly entertaining and eye-catching tome. Packed with humour and fascinating facts, This Way Up takes a deep dive into the...
    Paperback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    In Stock
    Ships today

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.