How is an absolute democracy possible? Cover Image

Jak możliwa jest absolutna demokracja?
How is an absolute democracy possible?

Author(s): Joanna Bednarek
Subject(s): Philosophy
Published by: Uniwersytet Adama Mickiewicza
Keywords: Negri; Hardt; Commonwealth; absolute democracy; constituent power; governance

Summary/Abstract: In the last part of the Empire trilogy, Commonwealth, Negri and Hardt ask about the possibility of the self-governance of the multitude. When answering, they argue that absolute democracy, understood as the political articulation of the multitude that does not entail its unification (construction of the people) is possible. As Negri states, this way of thinking about political articulation is rooted in the tradition of democratic materialism and constitutes the alternative to the dominant current of modern political philosophy that identifies political power with sovereignty. The multitude organizes itself politically by means of the constitutive power, identical with the ontological creativity or productivity of the multitude. To state the problem of political organization means to state the problem of class composition: political democracy is at the same time economic democracy.

  • Issue Year: 2011
  • Issue No: 04
  • Page Range: 19-31
  • Page Count: 13
  • Language: Polish
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