Chantal Mouffe

Political Theory Belgian 1943 104 quotes

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 'enemy' is not a person, but a political position.

On the Political

The 'democratic project' is an open-ended one, constantly subject to re-negotiation.

Hegemony and Socialist Strategy

The 'liberal-democratic' framework often masks the power relations at play.

The Democratic Paradox

The political is about the struggle for recognition.

On the Political

The 'agonistic' model is not about violence, but about the institutionalization of conflict.

Agonistics: Thinking the World Politically

The 'enemy' is not to be demonized, but to be engaged in a political struggle.

On the Political

The 'radical democratic' project seeks to deepen and extend democratic practices.

Hegemony and Socialist Strategy

The 'consensus' in liberal democracy is often a manufactured one.

The Democratic Paradox

The political is about the articulation of demands.

On the Political

The 'agonistic' approach is a way of thinking about how to live with irreducible differences.

Agonistics: Thinking the World Politically

The democratic revolution has reached a limit which cannot be extended without entering into conflict with the logic of capital.

Hegemony and Socialist Strategy 1985

Politics is a form of collective will-formation.

Hegemony and Socialist Strategy 1985

Hegemony is not a universal concept, but a historically specific one.

Hegemony and Socialist Strategy 1985

The political cannot be reduced to the economic.

Hegemony and Socialist Strategy 1985

Democracy requires the acceptance of pluralism.

The Democratic Paradox 2000

Liberalism's rationalism denies the antagonistic dimension of politics.

The Democratic Paradox 2000

The return of the political means acknowledging conflict as constitutive of social life.

The Return of the Political 1993

Consensus is the enemy of democracy.

The Democratic Paradox 2000

Agonistic pluralism is the way to revitalize democracy.

On the Political 2005

Politics is about the constitution of the 'we' which is always constructed as opposed to 'them'.

On the Political 2005