If fundamental political categories were represented as geometric shapes, citizenship would be one of those rotating polyhedrons with reflective surfaces that together create effects of light and shade. With extraordinarily acute discernment, the leading philosopher Étienne Balibar examines one by one the various faces of this object, more numerous - and far more fissured - than one would imagine. The question of what it means to be a citizen has, from the dawn of Western politics, been anything but clear and straightforward; and modernity has shown it to be even more enigmatic and contested. Inseparable from democracy, and the demands for equality and liberty from which democracy draws its origins, citizenship is constantly being redefined within the unresolved contradiction between universal principles and the discriminatory mechanisms that regulate membership of a political community. Not everyone is a citizen, even within one nation-state. It has been said that certain persons are in society without being of society? The dynamics of inclusion and exclusion continue to generate dramatic asymmetries and create openings and closures, especially today in a time of particular fragility and when national sovereignty is in flux. So are there too many antinomies within citizenship? Balibar does not shy away from these antimonies, but he knows that to renounce citizenship would be to abandon the chance to create new modes of collective autonomy, in short, to democratize democracy.-- Provided by publisher

Balibar, Étienne, 1942-

Wiley-Blackwell (an imprint of John Wiley & Sons Ltd)

Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Blackwell Publishers

United Kingdom and Ireland, United Kingdom

Jun 29, 2015

1, US, 2015

Obscured text on back cover due to sticker attached.

If fundamental political categories were represented as geometric shapes, citizenship would be one of those rotating polyhedrons with reflective surfaces that together create effects of light and shade. With extraordinarily acute discernment, the leading philosopher Étienne Balibar examines one by one the various faces of this object, more numerous - and far more fissured - than one would imagine. The question of what it means to be a citizen has, from the dawn of Western politics, been anything but clear and straightforward; and modernity has shown it to be even more enigmatic and contested. Inseparable from democracy, and the demands for equality and liberty from which democracy draws its origins, citizenship is constantly being redefined within the unresolved contradiction between universal principles and the discriminatory mechanisms that regulate membership of a political community. Not everyone is a citizen, even within one nation-state. It has been said that certain persons are in society without being of society? The dynamics of inclusion and exclusion continue to generate dramatic asymmetries and create openings and closures, especially today in a time of particular fragility and when national sovereignty is in flux. So are there too many antinomies within citizenship? Balibar does not shy away from these antimonies, but he knows that to renounce citizenship would be to abandon the chance to create new modes of collective autonomy, in short, to democratize democracy.-- Provided by publisher

vii, 145 pages ; 21 cm
The question of what it means to be a citizen has, from the dawn of Western politics, been anything but clear and straightforword, and in modern societies it has become even more enigmatic and contested. Inseparable from democracy, and the demoands for equality and liberty from which democracy draws its origins, citizenship is constantly being redefined within the unresolved contradiction between universal principles and the discriminatory mechanisms that regulate membership of a political community. Not everyone is a citizen, even within one nation-state. The dynamics of inclusion and exclusion continue to generate dramatic asymmetries and create openings and closures, especially today in a time of particular fragility and when national sovereignty is in flux. Balibar does not shy away from the antimonies of citizenship, but he knows that to renounce citizenship would be to abandon the chance to create new modes of collective autonomy, in short, to democratize democracy. -- Publisher's description
Includes bibliographical references (pages 132-139) and index
Machine generated contents note: 1.Democracy and Citizenship: An Antinomic Relationship -- 2.Politeia -- 3.Aequa Libertas -- 4.From Social Citizenship to the Social-National State -- 5.Citizenship and Exclusion -- 6.The Aporia of Conflictual Democracy -- 7.Neo-Liberalism and De-Democratization -- 8.Democratizing Democracy

The Question Of What It Means To Be A Citizen Has, From The Dawn Of Western Politics, Been Anything But Clear And Straightforword, And In Modern Societies It Has Become Even More Enigmatic And Contested. Inseparable From Democracy, And The Demoands For Equality And Liberty From Which Democracy Draws Its Origins, Citizenship Is Constantly Being Redefined Within The Unresolved Contradiction Between Universal Principles And The Discriminatory Mechanisms That Regulate Membership Of A Political Community. Not Everyone Is A Citizen, Even Within One Nation-state. The Dynamics Of Inclusion And Exclusion Continue To Generate Dramatic Asymmetries And Create Openings And Closures, Especially Today In A Time Of Particular Fragility And When National Sovereignty Is In Flux. Balibar Does Not Shy Away From The Antimonies Of Citizenship, But He Knows That To Renounce Citizenship Would Be To Abandon The Chance To Create New Modes Of Collective Autonomy, In Short, To Democratize Democracy. -- Publisher's Description. Etienne Balibar, Translated By Thomas Scott-railton. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 132-139) And Index. Translated From The Italian Language.

2023-06-28