A systematic genealogical treatment of Laclau's antagonism

Ernesto Laclau's conception of antagonism is described as one of the main achievements in contemporary social thought. Antagonism is not only the cornerstone of his theory of hegemony, it also involves a political ontology. Oliver Marchart presents the main features of this ontology, tracks the development of antagonism from German Idealism via Marx to today's post-Marxism and demonstrates Laclau's significant contribution to the current 'ontological turn' in political thought. By carving out the philosophical implications of antagonism, Marchart proposes a novel theory of 'thinking' as a collective, political and conflictual practice.

Oliver Marchart is Professor of Political Theory at the Department of Political Science, University of Vienna. He is the author of Post-Foundational Political Thought: Political Difference in Nancy, Lefort, Badiou and Laclau and co-editor, with Simon Critchley, of Laclau: A Critical Reader.