Abstract:
In his essay entitled “The Thinking of Dissensus: Politics and Aesthetics” French Philosopher Jacques Rancière notes that his analysis and understanding of politics has continually attempted to distance itself from both an ontology and a metaphysics. This thesis tests the veracity of this claim through an analysis of the theory of the subject within Rancière’s thought. Tracing a brief history of the subject through philosophers such as Kant, Hegel, Heidegger, Althusser and Foucault, I here examine the nuanced shifts and torsions that the question of the subject has undergone in contemporary critical theory. Presenting an account of Rancière’s understanding of politics and his corresponding theory of the subject, I highlight the role that chance plays in his definition of democracy, politics, and the subject. Through this notion of chance, I contend that Rancière implicitly commits himself to both a metaphysics and ontology which he refuses to acknowledge and formalise. Building on the work of Alain Badiou, I further posit that this refusal is predicated on Rancière’s reliance on poetics and language. Moreover, I suggest that it is precisely Rancière’s unwillingness to formalise his thought which has led to a number of misreadings, and misrepresentations of the truly emancipatory kernel of his work.
