Book Review: Alain Badiou and Jean-Claude Milner, Controversies: A Dialogue on Politics and Philosophy in Our Time
| Author | Alexander Agnello |
| Published date | 01 May 2016 |
| Date | 01 May 2016 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/1478929916630914b |
236
Political Studies Review 14 (2)
Fox News coverage of the terrorist attacks of
Controversies: A Dialogue on Politics and
9/11. Second, melodrama and its genre con-
Philosophy in Our Time by Alain Badiou and
ventions serve as analytical tools; Anker inter-
Jean-Claude Milner. Cambridge: Polity Press,
prets cultural products (dramas, novels and
2014. 166pp., £14.99 (p/b), ISBN 9780745682174
movies), media coverage, political speeches,
and leftist political theory (Hardt, Negri,
Controversies: A Dialogue on Politics and
Agamben) through the lens of melodrama.
Philosophy in our Time marks a reunion between
In addition, each chapter introduces a fur-
former Maoists Alain Badiou and Jean-Claude
ther theoretical concept in order to scrutinise
Milner, who grew apart following the Chinese
the multifaceted structure of political freedom
Cultural Revolution. The book consists of four
and the destructive effects of the prevailing
interviews moderated by Philippe Petit that
definition of freedom in terms of liberal indi-
boldly broach the polemic topics that forged the
vidualism and sovereign agency. The title-giv-
conceptual fault lines between two of France’s
ing ‘orgies of feeling’ and the ‘venomous eye of
intellectual titans. Central to the controversy are
resentment’ are both concepts borrowed from
such topics as the parameters of politics, and the
Friedrich Nietzsche, while others – like ‘felt
divisive nature of the word ‘Jew’.
legitimacy’ and ‘heroic identification’ – are
For Milner, violence is the focus of political
derived from Max Weber and Sigmund Freund.
discourse, and politics begins from the point at
But Anker adopts them, and in so doing, she
which violence against an adversary is deemed
transforms the conceptions and creates her own
extra-legal. Contra Milner, Badiou argues that
theoretical tool kit. This might be inspiring for
this instrumental use of global outrage does not
graduate students, for scholars of...
Political Studies Review 14 (2)
Fox News coverage of the terrorist attacks of
Controversies: A Dialogue on Politics and
9/11. Second, melodrama and its genre con-
Philosophy in Our Time by Alain Badiou and
ventions serve as analytical tools; Anker inter-
Jean-Claude Milner. Cambridge: Polity Press,
prets cultural products (dramas, novels and
2014. 166pp., £14.99 (p/b), ISBN 9780745682174
movies), media coverage, political speeches,
and leftist political theory (Hardt, Negri,
Controversies: A Dialogue on Politics and
Agamben) through the lens of melodrama.
Philosophy in our Time marks a reunion between
In addition, each chapter introduces a fur-
former Maoists Alain Badiou and Jean-Claude
ther theoretical concept in order to scrutinise
Milner, who grew apart following the Chinese
the multifaceted structure of political freedom
Cultural Revolution. The book consists of four
and the destructive effects of the prevailing
interviews moderated by Philippe Petit that
definition of freedom in terms of liberal indi-
boldly broach the polemic topics that forged the
vidualism and sovereign agency. The title-giv-
conceptual fault lines between two of France’s
ing ‘orgies of feeling’ and the ‘venomous eye of
intellectual titans. Central to the controversy are
resentment’ are both concepts borrowed from
such topics as the parameters of politics, and the
Friedrich Nietzsche, while others – like ‘felt
divisive nature of the word ‘Jew’.
legitimacy’ and ‘heroic identification’ – are
For Milner, violence is the focus of political
derived from Max Weber and Sigmund Freund.
discourse, and politics begins from the point at
But Anker adopts them, and in so doing, she
which violence against an adversary is deemed
transforms the conceptions and creates her own
extra-legal. Contra Milner, Badiou argues that
theoretical tool kit. This might be inspiring for
this instrumental use of global outrage does not
graduate students, for scholars of...
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