Unstable universalities - Poststructuralism and radical politics

Unstable universalities
Poststructuralism and radical politics
Saul Newman

Manchester University Press
Oxford Road
Manchester M13 9NR
+44 (0) 161 275 2310
www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk

How do we think about radical politics today,
in the wake of the collapse of Marxist-Leninism
and the triumph of neo-liberal capitalism?
How should radical political theory respond
to new challenges posed by globalisation,
postmodernity, the ‘war on terror’ and the
rise of religious fundamentalism? How are
we to take account of the new social movements
and political struggles appearing on the
global horizon?

In addressing these questions, the author
explores the theme of universality and its
place in radical political theory. He argues
that both Marxist politics of class struggle and
the postmodern politics of difference have
reached their historical and political limits,
and that what is needed is a new approach
to universality, a new way of thinking about
collective politics.

By exploring various themes and ideas within
poststructuralist and post-Marxist theory, the
book develops a new and original approach
to universality – one that has important implications
for politics today, particularly on
questions of power, subjectivity, ethics and
democracy. In so doing, it engages in debates
with thinkers such as Laclau, Žižek, Badiou and
Rancière over the future of radical politics.

Saul Newman is Senior Lecturer in Political
Theory at Goldsmiths, University of London
Reappraising the Political

HB 978-0-7190-7128-7 £55.00
234x156mm 256pp

Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. The politics of postmodernity
2. Power
3. Subjectivity
4. Ethics
5. Democracy
6. Radical politics today
Index

‘In this original and very well-researched
book, Dr Newman tries to re-think the
anarchist tradition within a wide intellectual
background centered in the general
movement from foundational to post-foundational
political thought. He proposes
the category of ´post-anarchism´, which he
links with comparable approaches such as
post-structuralism and even post-Marxism.
This book, no doubt, will be extremely useful
in re-awakening the interest in a current of
political thought which has lost its centrality
over the past century.’

Ernesto Laclau

(at that price one for your library to get methinks.)