This seminar is part of the monthly RCPS Lecture Series hosted by the Radboud Center for Philosophy and Society.
Registration
Students and staff are warmly invited to join the event. No registration is required.
Speaker
Check Tivadar Vervoort's profile page at KU Leuven for more information about this months guest.
Abstract
A Wide Concept of the Political: Bridging the Gap between Politics and Social Life
Abstract: Both radical and liberal theories of democracy view the political sphere as autonomous and distinct from the social sphere. Post-foundational theories of the political consider social practices to be part of the sedimented, 'ontic' structure of society that maintains the status quo. Liberal theories of democracy distinguish public reasoning about just political institutions from private social life. Consequently, both traditions undervalue the political significance of everyday social practices. Nevertheless, there is ample evidence that a variety of everyday practices have political salience. One can think of covert modes of contestation, such as hidden transcripts (Scott) and tactics of resistance (de Certeau), subcultures and deliberate efforts to organise social life differently as exemplified by squats, communes, and alternative forms of life. Everyday life is thus a sphere riddled with antagonistic political practices. In order to recognise the political importance of such social practices, I will propose a 'wide concept of the political' which moves beyond a sharp distinction between the political and the social. Taking inspiration from Rahel Jaeggi’s reflections on 'a wide concept of the economy,' I will argue that political practices overlap with, and are in a reciprocal relationship with, other social practices and forms of life that are not necessarily political in the strict sense.
