The Communist Hypothesis
‘We know that communism is the right hypothesis. All those who abandon this hypothesis immediately resign themselves to the market economy, to parliamentary democracy—the form of state suited to capitalism—and to the inevitable and “natural” character of the most monstrous inequalities.’—Alain Badiou
Alain Badiou’s ‘communist hypothesis’, first stated in 2008, cut through the cant and compromises of the past twenty years to reconceptualize the Left. The hypothesis is a fresh demand for universal emancipation and a galvanizing call to arms. Anyone concerned with the future of the planet needs to reckon with the ideas outlined within this book.
Hardback, 288 pages
ISBN: 9781844676002
July 2010
$19.95 / £12.99
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Part of the The Communist Hypothesis series
Reviews
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A figure like Plato or Hegel walks here among us!
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A Little Red Book for our time?
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An heir to Jean-Paul Sartre and Louis Althusser.
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Shaking the foundations of Western liberal democracy.
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One of the saddest, funniest books of the past 20 years.
Blog
Full Communism
There are Reds under the bed. Or in the academies. Or worse: about to spill into the streets. So warns Alan Johnson in World Affairs, the esteemed Washington-based international affairs journal. Tracing the rising profile of a group of authors such as Alain Badiou, Bruno Bosteels and Slavoj Žižek and the popularity of their books, the columnist outlines what he sees as a nascent threat lurking in the incendiary words of Terry Eagleton and Toni Negri.
Idea of Communism—Resources and commentary
Following on from our announcement of Alain Badiou and Slavoj Žižek's New York conference, Communism, A New Beginning?, we have brought together the numerous reports, responses, commentary and resources relating to the first Idea of Communism conference in London.
If there's anything missing, please add in the comments below.
COMMUNISM, A NEW BEGINNING? Alain Badiou and Slavoj Žižek with Verso Books at Cooper Union, New York, October 14th-16th 2011
Verso will LIVE STREAM the conference on this website, from Friday, Oct 14th at 6pm. The video will be on this discussion page—you’ll need to log in to access it, so please register now if you don't yet have an account.
A new conference with leading thinkers to discuss the continued relevance of the communist idea.
“The long night of the Left is coming to a close” wrote Slavoj Žižek and Costas Douzinas in their introduction to The Idea of Communism. The continuing economic crisis, the shift away from a unipolar world defined by American hegemony, and the ecological crisis mean that growing numbers of people are keen to explore an alternative, and to rediscover the idea of communism. With the advent of the Arab Awakening, millions have sought new ways to overcome corruption and dictatorship—and they’ve now been joined by the wave of occupations in the US, challenging runaway inequality and the power of corporations and the super-rich.
Responding to Alain Badiou’s proposition of the ‘communist hypothesis,’ the leading thinkers of the Left convened in London in 2009 to discuss the persistent notion that, in a truly emancipated society, all things should be owned in common. Now Slavoj Žižek is hosting a new discussion, at Cooper Union in New York.
Discussions
Begin a discussion about this book-
Badiou and the state
Alain Badiou's political writings, such as his recent Communist Hypothesis, are marked by their association with his theory of the Event (characterised by some as akin to a miracle) and the notion of a politics "at a distance from the state". This has led to criticisms regarding the abstraction of Badiou's politics and the lack of organisational mediations. For example, Luke Evans in Socialist Review says: "Badiou's conflict between the "Event" and the "State" leaves no space for how the immediate struggle for reforms may change gradually over time and become a revolutionary movement as the working class begins to realise its own power. Rather Badiou's revolution is a sudden movement of force. Revolutions don't seem to be able to emerge as a result of the obvious struggles and conflicts that we all see and live through right now." In the face of pressures pushing in the direction of political "realism" and even electoralism, is Badiou's stance a necessary corrective, or rather a replay of classic debates on abstentionism, ultra-leftism and so on?
Other books by Alain Badiou
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The Adventure of French Philosophy
Over forty years of French philosophy through the eyes of its greatest living exponent.by Alain Badiou
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The Rebirth of History
Testing the winds of history blowing from the Arab revolts.by Alain Badiou
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Polemics
Overturning the dominant narrative of events, from the Paris Commune to the Iraq wars.by Alain Badiou
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Metapolitics
Metapolitics argues that one of the main tasks of contemporary thought is to abolish the idea that politics is merely an object for philosophical reflection.by Alain Badiou
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Wittgenstein's Anti-Philosophy
The leading continental philosopher takes on the standard bearer of analytical philosophy.by Alain Badiou
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Five Lessons on Wagner
A leading radical intellectual tackles the many controversial interpretations of Wagner’s work.by Alain Badiou
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The Meaning of Sarkozy
by Alain Badiou
The reactionary tradition behind Sarkozy, and the communist hypothesis for the twenty-first century.
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Pocket Pantheon
A journey through twentieth-century philosophy with the titan of French thought.by Alain Badiou
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Ethics
One of the most powerful voices in contemporary French philosophy explodes the facile assumptions behind the recent ethical turn.by Alain Badiou