Dissensus: On Politics and Aesthetics

236 Pages·2010·2.7 MB·English

by  Jacques Rancière

DISSENSUS
OnP oliatnidcA se sthetics
JacqRuaensc iere
EditaenddT ranslabtyeS tde veCno rcoran
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ContinIunutme rnatPiuobnlails Ghrionugp
TheT owerB uilding 80M aideLna ne
11Y orRko ad Suit7e0 4
LondoSnE 17 NX NewY orkN Y 10038
www continuumbocookms
©Jacques RanacnidSe treev en Corc2o0r1a0n ,
Allr ighrtess ervNeod p.a rotf t hipsu blicamtaiyob ne r eproduocre d
transmiitnta endyf ormo rb ya nym eanse,l ectroornm iecc hanicianlc,l uding
photocopyriencgo,r dionrag n,y i nformatsitoonr aogrer etriesvyaslt em,
withopurti opre rmissiinow nr ititnrgo mt hep ublishers
British CLaitbarlaorgyu ing-inD-aPtuab lication
A catalorgeuceo rfdor t hibso oki sa vailafbrloemt heB ritiLsihb rary.
ISBN9:7 8-1-8470-6445-5
LibroafrC yo ngrCeastsa loging-inD-aPtuab lication
RancieJraec,q ues
Dissensounsp olitaincdas e stheItJi accsq ueRsa ncie,re ed itaendd t ranslated
byS teveCno rcoran
p em
Includiensd ex
ISBN-1937:8 -1-84706-445-5
ISBN-110- 84706-445-0
1 Politsicciaeln ce--Phil2o.As eospthhye tics--aPsopleicttisc al
I.C orcorSatne,v IeI Ti tle
JA71R 362 010
320.1-0- dc22 2009023696
TypesbeytN ewgenI maginSgy stemPsv tL tdC,h ennaIin,d ia
Printaendd b oundi nG reaBtr itabiynt heM PG BookGsr oupB,o dmiann d
KingL'ysn n
Contents
Acknowledgements vii
EditoIrn'tsr oduction
PartI TheA estheotfPi ocsl itics
TenT heseosn P olitics 27
2 DoesD emocraMceya nS omething? 45
3 Who Ist heS ubjeocftt heR ighotfsM an? 62
4 CommunismF:r omA ctualtiotI yn actuality 76
5 TheP eoploert heM ultitudes? 84
6 BiopoliotrPi oclsi tics? 91
7 SeptembIeIra ndA fterwardRsu:p tAu rient he
SymbolOircd er? 97
8 OfW ara st heS upremFeo rmo fA dvanced
PlutocrCaotnisce nsus 105
PartI IT heP olitics of Aesthetics
9 TheA estheRteivco lutainodnI tOsu tcomes 115
10 TheP aradoxoefPs o litical Art 134
11 TheP olitoifLc ist erature 152
v
CONTENTS
12T heM onumenatn dI tCso nfidencoersD ;e leuazned A rt's
Capaciotf'y R esistance' 169
13 The EthTuimc aolf A esthetaincdPs o litics 184
PartI IIR espontsoeC ritics
14 TheU seo fD istinctions 205
Notes 219
Index 227
vi
Acknowledgements
A numbeorf t hea rticilnecsl udientd h icso llechtaivoean l reaadpyp eared
inE nglisIh c.o nsulttehdet ranslaotfi' oTne nT heseosn Politibcys '
DavidPea nagainad R acheBlo wlbyw,h ichfi rsatp peariendt heo nline
journaTlh eoaryn Edv et5n :(32 00an1d)r e maiinn debtteotd h eiwro rk;
'DoeDse mocracMye an Somethinfigr?s'at p peariendt hec ollection
AdiDeeur r(ieddCa.o staDso uzinaLso,n donP:a lgraMvaec mill2an0,0 7)
andh asb eene xtensirveewloyr kheedr ea,s h ast hee ssa'yW hoi st he
Subjeocftt heR ightofsM an?'fi,r sptu blisihneS do uAtthl aQnutraitrcel y
103( 200p4p).2 ,9 71-03T.h ankasr ea lsdou et oK heyaB agf orpe rmis­
siotno r eprian stl ighmtoldyi fievde rsioofn' ThAee stheRteivco lution
andi tOsu tcomeEsm:p lotmeonftA su tonomayn dH eteronomiyn'i,t ially
publishienNd ew LeRfte vi(evwo 1l.4 2,0 20.)' ThPeo litoifcL si terature'
wasfi rsptu blishienSd uSbtan(c2e0 0p4p).1 ,0 -2L4as.t lIyc ,o nsulted
Jean-PhilDieprpaen st ytr'anslaotfi' oTnh eE thic1\uanl inA esthetics
andP olitipcusb'l,i sihneC dr itHiocrailz7 o( n2s0 0p6p).1 ,-0 2.Ho wever,
thev ersioofni tt haatp pearhse rei st akefnr omm y translaotfi on
RancierAee'sset tihacsn Idts D icosnttse( nLondoPno:l i2ty0,0 p9p).I 0 9-32,
reprinwtietdth hek inpde rmissoifoS na raDho dgsoantP oliPtrye sasn d
Joanna DelaotrG mael ilee.
Iw ouldl ikteo t hanakl tlh osweh oh elpewdi tht hipsr ojeAcutr:e lie
Maurifno hre rv ividdi scussoifoF nrse nclhi nguissutbitcl etGieenseR; a y
andE laLda pidfootrt heihre lpfcuolm mentosn t heE nglitsrha nslation
andi ncistihveeo retriecmaalr kasn;d S araCha mpbealnld To m Cricka t
Politwyh,o s howeidm menspea tienacnede ncouragemaenndtl ;a stmlyy
thankgsot oJ acquReasn ciefroehr i gsr aciousannedss usp portth roughout
eversyt agoeft hep rocess.
EditIonrt'rso duction
Whati sp olitiWchsa?t i sa rtA?n d how arew e toc onceiovfet heir
intimaatned a ttestiendt errelaTthieornea? r ea tl easttw ow ayso f
approachtihnegsq eu estioFnisr.sa tr,at n dp olitqiucssa,i ngudloamra ins
ofh umant houghatn da ctivciatnyb ,e t akeans t wos epararteea lities,
eachw ithi tosw n princiopflr ee alizaPtoiloint.ii ssc osc onstrufeodr,
examplweh,e neveirti sd efineads a speciffiocr mo ft hee xerciosfe
power andi tmso deo fl egitimastoi,to ono;i, s a rtw,h end efinedi,n
modernisotr p ostmoderntiesrtm so,n theb asiosft hew aysi nw hich
aesthestpiecc ifichiatsby e eng raduawlolny bya liberatfiroonmt he
imperatiovfme ism etilco giFcr.o1m t hipse rspecttihveqe u,e stitohne n
arisaests o w hethetrh estew os epararteea lictaineb sep laciendr elation
too nea nothearn d,i fs o,u ndewrh atc onditiioton usg htto h appen.
Conversehloyw,e vearr,at n dp olitciacnbs e u nderstosoudc,ht hatth eir
specificiisst eye nt or esiidnet heicro ntingseunstp ensoifot nh er ules
governinngo rmaelx perienOcne t.h ivsi ewt,h eierm ergenicsei nn o
waya n ecessoaurtyc omoefa p ropertthyai tss upposeidnlhye retnott h e
lifoefi ndividourac losm munitiIetds e.p endosna ni nnovatlievaefp r om
thel ogitch aotr dinargiolvye rnsh umans ituatiIonnc sh.a racterizing
politaincdsa esthetaisfc osr mosf d issensRuansc,i esreee ktso d efenad
versioofnt hilsa ttaelrt ernatiHviesm. o stg enertahle siisst hawth at
thesaec tividtoi,ee asc hi nt heiorw nw ay,i st oe ffeac rte distribouft ion
thes ensibtlheai,tso ft hew aysi nw hichhu manc ommunitairee's s pon­
taneouscloyu'n teadsw holedsi visiibnltteoh eicro nstituptairvtaesn d
functioFnosrR. a nciergee,n uinpeo litiocraa lr tisatcitci viatliweasy s
involfvoer mosf i nnovattihoantt e abro diefsr omt heiars signpelda ces
andf resep eecahn de xpressfiroonma lrle ducttioof nu nctiiotnyTa.hl ey
1
DISSENSUS
aref ormosf c reatitohanat r ei rreductiotb hlees patio-temhpoorriazlo ns
ofa givefna ctucaolm munitIyn.o thewro rdst,h ed isrupttihoantt h ey
effeicsnt o ts implay r eorderoittn hge r elatioofpn osw erb etweeenx ist­
ingg roupdsi;s senissnu ost a ni nstitutoivoenratlu rniIntig s.a na ctivity
thactu tasc rofsosr mosf c ultuarnadli dentbietlyo ngianngdh ierarchies
betweedni scourasnedgs e nrewso,r kintgoi ntrodnuecwes ubjeacntds
heterogenoebojuesc itnstt oh efi elodf p erceptAinodna .s b otahc tivities,
accorditnoRg a nciehraev,e t od ow ithr eoriengteinnegr paelr ceptual
spacaen dd isruptfionrgm s beolto ngitnhge,ii rn terreliasnt oitao q nu es­
tiotnh ante edass kinIgtc. a nb es hownt hapto lithiacsas n i nherently
aesthedtiimce nsiaonnda estheatnii cnsh erenptollyi toincea.l
Rancieorfec ,o ursiesn, o tt hefi rsttoa rguteh atth es ingulaorfti hteys e
activiltiieiesnst heirra diccahla lletnogt eh en ormaslo cidails tribution.
Whati su niquaeb ouhti st heorizahtoiwoenv,e irs,h owhe c onceiovfe s
thilso giocfd isruptaisao p nr ocesseq uoafl aitnydc onsequeanltslyo the
wayh ei sa blteoa nalytzheec omplicaitnetde rtwionfi ntghse sef otrwmos
ofe xceptionIaffl oirtmyos.f d issenasrueis r reductiotb hleeo bjectiovfi ty
thes ituatiitoi snb ,y v inuoef w hatR ancierreef etrosa st heifro rmosf
egalitasursipaenn siotnh e'o nfo npalc'o unotf t hes ocioarld eArs.s tated,
then odaplo inatr ounwdh icbho tahc tivirteiveosl avned,w hicehn sures
theiirn terreliastt hiaobtno ,t ahr ef ormosf' dissenFsiursst'th.,e ni,tp ays
toe xaminteh el ogiocfc onsenstuhsae tv erdyi ssenwsoursk tso d isrupt.
ConsensaussR ,a ncieurned erstaintdi,ssd efinebdy ' thied eoaf t he
propearn'd t he distriobfup tliaocneo sft hep ropearn di mpropietr
impliTehsi.ls o giisci, n h ivsi ewt,h es pontaneloougsui ncd erlyeivnegr y
hierarc'hiiyts:t hev eriyd eoaf t hed ifferebnectew eetnh ep ropearn d
thei mproptehra ste rvteoss eparaotuett hep olitfircoamlt hes ociaarlt,
fromc ulturceu,l tufrreo mc ommercea'n dt hatd efinehsi erarchical
distribuwthieornees v eryonsep'ese cihsd eterminientd e rmosf t heir
propeprl acaen dt heiarc tiviintt ye rmosf i tpsr opefru nctiwoint,h out
remaindIetcr o.n siisntt sh em atchionfga p oeiosrw iasyo fd oinwgi,t h
ana isthoreh soisri,z oofna ffecTthsee. s senocfec onsensus, istt hheen ,
supposiotifao nni dentbiettyw eesne nsaen ds ensbee,t weean f acatn d
itisn terpretbaettiwoene,sn p eecahn di tasc counbte,t weean f actual
stataunsd a na ssignaotfir oing hettsc,.
By contratshte,l ogiocfd issencsounss iisntt sh ed emonstraotfi on
a certaiimnp ropwrhiiechty disrtuhpei tdse ntiatnydr eveatlhse g ap
betweepno eiasndisa istshieTsh el ogiucn derlytihnegs per actiicsea s
materiaalnidas ntt i-essenotnieaP.lo ilsitti isac psr ocecslsa,i Rmasn ciere,
2
EDITORI'NST RODUtnON
thasti multaneoduesnliye s efvoeurnyd atoinow nh ichi tm ighcto met o
formt hep ositiovfai s tpyh eroera p uritAysw. e shaslele t hroughtohuet
essaiynst hibso okt,h eb asilco giocft hifso rmo fi nnovataigoani ntshte
dictaotfeh si eraracnhydt hep olicionfdg o mainissa paradoxiocnael,
whiccha nb es implsyt ataesdA: a lwaycso nsiisntb sl urrtihnegb oundar­
iebse tweeAna ndn on-PoAl.i ttihcesni,,n steoafcd o nsisitnia nnga ctivity
whosep rincispelpea raittedsso maionu tf romt hes ociiasla ,n a ctivity
thacto nsiosntlsiy n b lurrtihngeb oundarbieetsw eewnh ati sc onsidered
politaincdaw lh ati sc onsideprreodp etrot hed omaionf s ocioarlp rivate
lif(eA.sw e shaslele t,h es amel ogiiscu setdo m akes ensoeft hes ingular­
itoyf a rtB.u)t w e area facryr herfer omt hem ottaoc cordtionw gh ich
everythiisnp go litiicnacll,u dianegs thesteilcf -fashiPorneicnigs.ie fl y,
everythiisnp go lititchaelnn, o thinigs S.i milatrhleyc oncepotf' the
politoifac rsti 'sn ota nothveerr sioof'n e ngagoerd' 'c ritaircatan ly'm ore
thani ti so f' arfto ra rts'ask eA's.R ancienreev etri roefsr eiteraatritn g,
andp olitoinclsye vecro nsiisntt h ee ffectso fe qualitthyat th esy tagien,
thep lotwsh ich these psrpaecctiioficfcbe lsu rrienntga Ainld.t heu nique
naturoeft heseef fecwthsi,c ha rei rreductiobt lheen ormacla usaen d
effercetl atitohnasgt o verno rdinaerxyp eriemnecaen,s t hapto litaincds
arcta nnohta rbowuirt hitnh emt hei ntegrraelallyi zparbilnec iopfnl eew
socioarld e(rb yt hes amet okehno,w evenro,r d ot heeyx istto taalplayr t
fromi tin t heoiwr nr esplenbdreinltl iwahnicceh,a, sh ep oinotust a,l ways
amounttsob asitnhge saec tiviotnit ehsev erdyi stinctthiaottnh se eyf fec­
tiveclayl iln tqou estioTnh)e.r ies t husa finel inbee tweeRna nciere's
conceptoifoa nr ta ndp olitaincdsa nys traightfoirdweanrtdi ficatoifo n
this practice woift hib dleuaorsfr' ianrbgte comilnigf oer'' everytihsi ng
politicSailn'ct.eo r educteh emt hust,ow antt om akep olitaincdas r dti s­
appeaarss inguplraorc esisset som, i stsh es inguelfafre tchtastt h ebyr ing
abouatn dt or etutrnh emt ot hel ogoifcc onsensAurstc. a nn evebre come
lifeex cepbty b eintgu rnedi nttoh ei nstrumoefnt th osweh o wantt o
moulda n ews ocieatlh oasn;d i mplement'ienmga ncipawtiiloalnl 'w ays
overtuirnn tao f ormo fs ociemtaanla gemenbty' enlighteexnpeedr't s.
Theg rouncda nt heno nleyv ebre r ipfeo rf ormosf d isappointtmheantt
interptrheedt r eamo fe mancipataisto hne r oocta usoef t hei njustices
perpetratbeydt hose seaxmpee rRtasn.ci erew'osr k hIab se,l ieevnea,b led
ust os eem ored eartlhya env etrh anto thiinsmg o ref avouratbotl heee stab­
lishpeodw ertsh atnh e' lososft' h et hougahntd p ractoifce em ancipation.
Whati sf urthuenri quaeb ouRta ncierpeh'isl osopehnitcearlp riists hee
wayt hahte a ttempttois n trodtuhceee galitaerfifaenoc ftp so litaincda l
3
DISSENSUS
artistiacc tiionnt toh eco reo ft heoriyt seH. Indeed, fpohRria lnociseorpeh y
mights imilabrecl yo nstruaesad c ontingaenndtn ol escsr eatpirvaec tice
thawto rksa,ta h ighelre veolfc ondensattiolo env,eo lu td iscurhsiievre­
archibeyse ffectainne gga litardiisarnu ptoifto hne p revailciantge gories
governinpge rceptainodna ctioAns. a resulfto,ra lhli si nsisteonnc e
blurribnogu ndariReasn,c ieroew'ns p ractoifct eh eorizoiunggh tto b e
distingufirsohmet dh es orotfsi nterdiscipalnidtn haeroirteyt diecvaall u­
atioonfu niversaolfitteayns sociawtietdhs o-calploesdt modetrnh eory.
Thes ingulianrs tanocfee sq ualiitnpy o litaincdsa rtp roviRdaen ciere
withn ormatipvoei nftrso mw hicht oc ritipqruees ent-udnadye rstand­
ingosf p olitaincdsa rtA.s thep resecnotl lectrieofnl ecRtasn,ci ere's
theoretaipcpaalr atiutss eilsnf o thiinfgn otg earetdoi nterveniinnt gh e
presenWtr.i ttbeent wee1n9 9a6n d2 00t4h,et extisn cluded comprise
someo fh imso sts timulaatnidnp gr ovocative teosuscahyiosnn,gd iverse
politiacaels,t heatnidpc h ilosopqhuiecsatli oofno su rt ime-sf romt hes tatus
oft heorayn dq uestioofnp sr ogreasnsdm odernittyot hed emisoefe gali­
taripaonl itaincdst hes hrinkpionlgi tsipcaaclfe r,o mt heo verturnionfg
thee mancipatporroym ise of aesthetiicnt aeorx tpiesrtiiecn cpoerf a ctices
restortihnesg o cibaoln da ndt estiftyoia nnig m memoriaalli enatniootn ,
tom entiotnh ec onsensounst hen ecessoiftt yh ew orlcda pitaelciosnt­
omya ndt hes taftoec uosn s ecuriInts yo.d oinhge,e ngagweist ahd iverse
arraoyf t hinkers from AHraennndtatoh G iorgiAog amben, including
JacquDeesr riAdnat,o niNoe grJie,a nF-rancoLiyso taarndd A laiBna diou,
amongo therTsh.e sees sacyosn taiidne aasn dc onceptthsa hta veo ften
alreabdeye nt reatiendd etaiinlb ook-lenwgotrhk sA.t2t hes amet ime,
howevetrh,e rye venaelw a specotfts h esied eaasn dco nceptassR, a nciere's
takehsi sfi ghtt od ifferfernotno trsm ovest on ewl andscatpheast throw
up new pathosr o bstacalnedso ,b liag er eframionftg h ep lottsh ahte
proposfeosmr a ppinogu rp olitaincdaa lr tisptriecs ent.
THEA ESTHETICOSF POLmCS
Thep resent-cdiaryc umscriopfpt oiloint aicctailv wiet kyn,o w,i se very­
wherep ermeataendd s uffocabtyet dh en otioonfc onsensBuysr .e stor­
ingt her adicdailm ensiootpn o litaipcpaela rainndgi tesf feocfte sq uality,
Rancierceo'nsc eopftt hea estheotfip cosl itpircosv idoenseo ft heb est
contemporaanrtyi dottoet sh imso stf ashionaofbi ldee olognioctailo ns.
4