Masses, Classes, Ideas

by Étienne Balibar, James Swenson (Translator)

In Masses, Classes, Ideas, well-known French philosopher Etienne Balibar explores the relationship between abstract philosophy and concrete politics. The book gathers together for the first time in English nine of Balibar's most influential essays written over the last decade, which have been carefully revised and reordered in logical succession with an original preface. Balibar discusses the influence of political philosophy on collective movements, touching on issues of religious and class struggle, nationalism and racism, the rights of man and the citizen, and property as a social relation. He seeks to explain the novelty of Marxist philosophy and political theory with respect to the classical doctrines of "state" and "revolution." Masses, Classes, Ideas also examines the limitations and aporias which have become manifest in Marxist philosophy and critically assesses its legacy, offering a provocative contribution to the project of renewing democratic theory.

Genres: Philosophy, Politics, Nonfiction

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Étienne Balibar is emeritus professor of philosophy at Paris X Nanterre and emeritus professor of comparative literature at the University of California, Irvine. He is also professor of modern European philosophy at Kingston University, London, and professor of French and comparative literature at Columbia University. His books include Violence and Civility: On the Limits of Political Philosophy (Columbia, 2015).

Reviews

[Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bizarre sandwich, three crucial essays, surrounded by three on either side of tangential interest or coherence.

[Chelsea Szendi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please note that I was forced to limit my number of stars simply due to the limits of my own intellect. I found this book very rough going, although I really liked Balibar's discussion of universalism and racism. Too dense to paraphrase, I offer you his conclusion in his own words: “I do not think we can effectively face racism with the abstract motto of universality. Racism has already (always already) occupied this place. So the struggle is inside this place, to transform universalism, not to abandon it – I never said that – for this would amount to surrendering without combat."

[Leonardo]

Generalmente, los análisis provenientes de la Izquierda son los que insisten con más fuerza en que la génesis del Imperio activa las formas “malas” de gobierno. Ver, por ejemplo, Étienne Balibar, La crainte des masses (París: Galilée, 1997), libro que, entre otros aspectos, está extremadamente abierto a los análisis de los nuevos procesos de producción (masiva) de la subjetividad.

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