Chantal Mouffe: Politics and Passions

In her lecture, Chantal Mouffe will examine the causes for the growing inability of politics to deal with the problems that confront our society. Mouffe believes that quite apart from all technocratic considerations it has become increasingly necessary for political decisions to respond to changes in our democratic society. She contends that various deep-rooted passions also play a primary role in the political decision-making process. Mouffe presents various models for the assimilation of these passions into democracy. She also suggests ways to help overcome human and political antagonism.

Chantal Mouffe is Professor of Political Theory at the Centre for the Study of Democracy at the University of Westminster in London. Her teaching and research activities have also led her to North and South America. She is a member of the Collège International de Philosophie in Paris. Her publications include »Gramschi and Marxist Theory« (1979), »Hegemony and Socialist Strategy. Towards a radical democratic politics« (1985) with Ernesto Laclau, »Democracy: Pluralism, Citizenship, Community« (1996) and »The Democratic Paradox« (2000).