A. Johnston, Badiou, Žižek, and political transformations

Geoff Pfeifer

pp. 359-364

in: Human Studies 33, 2010.

Abstract

In his most recent book, Badiou, Žižek, and Political Transformations: The Cadence of Change, Adrian Johnston offers the reader not only a stunningly clear analysis of the political thought of Alain Badiou and Slavoj Žižek, but also a convincingly argued corrective to some of the more problematic claims that are made by these two important thinkers. As Johnston adeptly argues, though it is the case that these two thinkers have differing views on many topics, there is a common thread running through their respective philosophical-political projects. They agree that the idea that capitalism has triumphed, that we are living in an era where radical social change is no longer necessary (or even possible), that all that is left to do is modify the system so as to make it more friendly, is nothing more than an ideological trap. They both remain steadfastly committed to a certain type of Marxism, one that asserts that radical change is not only possible, but is in at least in one sense,...

Cited authors

Badiou Alain

Žižek Slavoj

Johnston Adrian