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Philosophy and Resistance in the Crisis: Greece and the Future of Europe

by Costas Douzinas

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This book is about the global crisis and the right to resistance, about neoliberal biopolitics and direct democracy, about the responsibility of intellectuals and the poetry of the multitude. Using Greece as an example, Douzinas argues that the persistent sequence of protests, uprisings and revolutions has radically changed the political landscape. This new politics is the latest example of the drive to resist, a persevering characteristic of the human spirit. The EU and the IMF used Greece as a guinea pig to test the conditions of social reconstruction in times of crisis. But the manifold resistances turned the object of experimentation into a political subject and overturned the plans of elites. The idea and limits of democracy are redefined in the place of their birth.… (more)
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This is not a full review of a book which has very wide ranging implications for contemporary politics and philosophy. It would take another book to properly review it! Instead I have picked out a few points that struck me as important as I read the book.

The point is made, that it is now the radicals in European politics, that stand up for liberal values, and the mainstream that has abandoned them (p.42). This is in a context where in countries of southern Europe, such as Greece and Italy, elected governments are replaced by technocrats, and for example in Britain where human rights legislation is under constant government attack.

There is no common European ethos (p. 53). Europe is not a country, it has not developed a 'polity'.

Victims of austerity policies are not seen on TV (p.68). Mainstream media interviews politicians, academics, pundits, anyone but the people actually effected by austerity.

Theories of justice fail (p. 80).

Solon's law in ancient Athens punished people who didn't take sides on issues of public controversy. Attacks the concept of neutrality.

"Constituent power is self-legitimating" (p.158) Occupations and large public protests have an inherent legitimacy, regardless of written laws and constitutions.

People are now equal to their rulers in technical knowledge (p. 168). The new media of the internet provides opportunities for activists to challenge the power of existing rulers, on almost an equal basis.

Reference is made to Alain Badiou's classification of uprisings, these are three fold. "Immediate" these are criminal riots motivated by anger. "Latent" these are more political actions such as strikes and occupations. "Historic" these are mass uprisings, occupying city centre spaces, (Tahrir Square being the prime example).

Syriza, a mass progressive political party in Greece, has a structure different from traditional political parties (p.194).

The best writing is in the Epilogue of this book, in my opinion it should have been the introduction, as it deals with the general European situation. It is intertesting hoe the old myths of Europa and Aenias are brought into a modern political debate. This last section is the best and is well worth reading. ( )
  MarkHurn | Nov 30, 2013 |
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This book is about the global crisis and the right to resistance, about neoliberal biopolitics and direct democracy, about the responsibility of intellectuals and the poetry of the multitude. Using Greece as an example, Douzinas argues that the persistent sequence of protests, uprisings and revolutions has radically changed the political landscape. This new politics is the latest example of the drive to resist, a persevering characteristic of the human spirit. The EU and the IMF used Greece as a guinea pig to test the conditions of social reconstruction in times of crisis. But the manifold resistances turned the object of experimentation into a political subject and overturned the plans of elites. The idea and limits of democracy are redefined in the place of their birth.

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