The Aesthetic Turn in Political Thought

by Kompridis, Nikolas

• ISBN13: 9781441148346
• ISBN10: 1441148345
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-04-10
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Summary

The growing exploration of political life from an aesthetic perspective has become so prominent that we can now speak of an "aesthetic turn" in political theory. But what does it mean and why an aesthetic turn? This collection of essays aims to answer such questions from a variety of perspectives, to think in a new way about the possibilities and weaknesses of democratic politics. The book first outlines the theoretical motivations and historical conditions that led to the turn to aesthetics. Essays then call attention to the presence of aesthetic themes and arguments in political theory as well as to parallels between theories of aesthetics and politics, revealing how much political theory can gain from making use of aesthetic modes of thought. They demonstrate that much of what is essential to democratic politics can in fact only be disclosed through aesthetic theorizing.A significant contribution to the contemporary debate in political theory, The Aesthetic Turn in Political Thought will appeal to all students interested in the interdisciplinary crossroads of aesthetic and politics.

Author Biography

Nikolas Kompridis is Professorial Fellow at the Centre for Citizenship and Public Policy, University of Western Sydney, Australia. He is the author of Critique and Disclosure: Critical Theory between Past and Future (2006) and Philosophical Romanticism (2006).

Table of Contents

Note that the table of contents is preliminary. There will be an added chapter on Rancière, and the topics will be reorganized under thematic sections once all essays are in.1. Introduction - A Turn to What, Exactly? Nikolas Kompridis, Centre for Citizenship and Public Policy, University of Western Sydney2. Delightful Horror: Burke, Paine, and the Aesthetics of Democratic RevolutionJason Frank, Government, Cornell University3. Fanon's Politics of Writing: The Rhetorical Force of StyleLewis Gordon, Philosophy, Temple University4. Political Romanticism: Contra Schmitt and HabermasNikolas Kompridis, Centre for Citizenship and Public Policy, University of Western Sydney5. We Feel Our Freedom: Imagination and Judgment in the Thought of Hannah ArendtLinda Zerilli, Political Science, Northwestern University6. The Art of Separation: Arendtian Reflections on Aesthetics, Politics, and AutonomyPatchen Markell, Political Science, Chicago7.The Power of ReceptivityRomand Coles, Political Science, Northern Arizona 8. The Nature of BeautyMelissa Orlie, Political Science, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 9. Political Turns, Aesthetic ReturnsKirstie McClure, Political Science, UCLA10. Michael Fried's Realism: Preliminary Notes towards an Ethics of AppearanceDavide Panagia, Cultural Studies, Trent University11. "The Culture Industry: Mass Deception as Enlightenment"Morton Schoolman, Political Science, SUNY Albany