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On the Shores of Politics

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( 214 ratings, 16 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
On the Shores of Politics by Jacques Rancière is a thought-provoking exploration of the nature of politics and democratic life. Rancière examines the relationship between politics, democracy, and the distribution of power, challenging traditional views by proposing that true democracy is a dynamic and emancipatory force. The book delves into how political thought and action can disrupt established orders and advocate for equality and justice.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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This book may appeal to you if you're intrigued by the intersection of politics and philosophy and enjoy exploring profound questions about democracy, ideology, and power dynamics. Jacques Rancière's insights offer a thought-provoking examination of political structures and the role of dissent, challenging conventional perspectives and inspiring readers to rethink the foundations of political thought. If you appreciate nuanced analyses and deep philosophical discussions, this work promises to engage and stimulate your intellect.

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Gives politics the following meaning: the organization of dissent.

Returning politics to its original and necessary meaning: the organization of dissent

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

It is frequently said that we are living through the end of politics, the end of social upheavals, the end of utopian folly. Consensual realism is the order of the day. But political realists, remarks Jacques Rancière, are always several steps behind reality, and the only thing which may come to an end with their dominance is democracy.

We could, he suggests, merely smile at the duplicity of the conclusion/suppression of politics which is simultaneously a suppression/conclusion of philosophy. This is precisely the task that Rancière undertakes in these subtle and perceptive essays.

He argues persuasively that since Plato and Aristotle, politics has always constructed itself as the art of ending politics, that realism is itself utopian, and that what has succeeded the polemical forms of class struggle is not the wisdom of a new millennium but the return of old fears, criminality, and chaos.

Whether he is discussing the confrontation between Mitterrand and Chirac, French working-class discourse after the 1830 revolution, or the ideology of recent student mobilisations, his aim is to restore philosophy to politics and give politics back its original and necessary meaning: the organisation of dissent.

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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?

Rancière's writings in On the Shores of Politics provide a coherent framework for understanding persistent resistance. Slavoj Zizek highlights the insightful exploration of political dynamics that challenge conventional thoughts on resistance and democracy.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781844675777

Publisher: Verso Books

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 17 January 2007

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Verso Books

Contributors:

  • Translated by Liz Heron

Audience: Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 132.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 150g

Pages: 116

About the Author

Jacques Rancière 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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