Leadership and Socialist Strategy: Towards Radical Democratic Politics

Author: Ernesto Laclau
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2003-05-01
Features: Contemporary Social and Political Thought Series. How should we understand the current crisis of left-wing thought? To what extent does it lead to skepticism about the "social whole" concept that underpins Marxism and many other socialist currents? Does the concept of "hegemony" imply a new logic that transcends essentialist thinking in "orthodox" Marxism? How has the proliferation of new social movements transformed the traditional political space concept? Does it allow us to envision the future of the new left through radical and pluralistic democracy? This book addresses these questions. Tracing the genealogy of the current crisis from the discussions on the unity of the working class in the late 19th century to the emergence of new forms of antagonism and struggle, the book explores the development process.