Chantal Mouffe
A Belgian political theorist known for her work on radical democracy and agonistic pluralism, emphasizing the irreducible nature of political conflict.
Quotes by Chantal Mouffe
The 'common good' is always a hegemonic construction.
The political is the terrain where different hegemonic projects confront each other.
The 'agonistic' model of democracy recognizes the permanence of conflict.
The 'enemy' is not an ontological category, but a political construction.
The task of democratic politics is to create a vibrant public space where different hegemonic projects can be articulated and contested.
There is no 'outside' to power.
The political is about the struggle for hegemony.
The 'post-ideological' discourse is itself an ideology.
The political is not a sphere, but a dimension of every human relation.
The 'radical democratic' project is about extending the democratic revolution to all spheres of social life.
The 'consensus' that liberal democracy seeks is often a suppression of dissent.
The political is about the construction of collective identities.
The 'agonistic' model does not seek to eliminate power, but to make it visible and contestable.
The 'enemy' is not a moral category, but a political one.
The 'democratic paradox' lies in the tension between equality and liberty.
The political is the site of decision, where alternatives are posed and choices are made.
The 'hegemonic' struggle is about defining the common sense of a society.
The 'post-modern' condition does not mean the end of politics, but its re-articulation.
The political is about the construction of social reality.
The 'agonistic' approach is a way of thinking about democracy that embraces conflict rather than trying to suppress it.