Unstable Universalities: Poststructuralism and Radical Politics (Reappraising the Political)

Unstable Universalities examines the theme of universality and its place in radical political theory. Saul Newman argues that both Marxist politics of class struggle and the postmodern politics of difference have reached their historical and political limits--what is needed is a new approach to universality and collective politics. By exploring various ideas within poststructuralist and post-Marxist theory, the book develops a new and original approach to universality. In so doing, it engages in debates with thinkers such as Laclau, Žižek, Badiou, and Rancière over the future of radical politics. It also applies important theoretical insights to contemporary events such as the emergence of the anti-globalization movement, the "war on terrorism," the rise of anti-immigrant racism, and the nihilistic violence which lurks at the margins of the political.