Mouffe on Liberalism, Agonism and Populism
Channel: A New Conversation
Date: 2020-03-05

This is the third part linked to a six part series discussing hegemony and populism. The discussion focuses solely on Chantal Mouffe's work since her seminal collaboration with Ernesto Laclau, 'Hegemony and Socialist Strategy'. It begins with a brief overview of the three books that followed, before taking a deeper look at her last two books, 'Agonistics', and 'For a Left Populism'. Through the arc of her work, Mouffe appears to shift from a strong defence of liberalism, though its definition is extremely nuanced, to a determined need for populism and the recognition that class has become an under-appreciated political category. Looking closer at her work, it becomes clear Mouffe doesn't reject the possibility of universalism, she only argues that it must remain constitutively particular. And while she sees no need for a radical break, neither does she posit this on a pole opposite reform, nor fail to recognise the likelihood capital will visit violence on a radical democratic movement the closer to success it becomes.