Alain Badiou, a contemporary communist French philosopher, discusses his theory of being and events, truth procedures, ethics, love, and the subject. He compares Marxist theory, Maoism, and political Marxism. Topics include politics as sequences, truth and the three subjects, and history, agency, and Platonism. St. Paul's significance in Badiou's philosophy is also explored. This episode is a must-listen for philosophy and radical egalitarian politics enthusiasts.
Events disrupt dominant discourses and initiate sequences of thought and action in politics.
Fidelity to truth is essential for genuine change and progress in politics and beyond.
Ethics opposes the forms of evil that obstruct the pursuit of truth and change.
Resurrection allows the reconstitution of past truths and enables engagement with them in the present.
Deep dives
The concept of events and politics
According to Alain Badiou, events are rare and unpredictable occurrences that disrupt the dominant discourses and ways of understanding the world. They cannot be easily named or understood and often challenge the existing order. In politics, events are crucial as they initiate sequences of thought and action. Badiou emphasizes the importance of fidelity to the event, which means a commitment to exploring and understanding the truths that it reveals. He distinguishes three types of subjects in response to events: the faithful subject, who recognizes the significance of the event and seeks to understand its truths; the reactive subject, who denies the event and tries to maintain the status quo; and the obscure subject, who determines the event as predetermined and unalterable. Badiou argues that politics must be rooted in truth and the affirmation of something new within a situation to bring about genuine change.
The end of politics and the saturation of sequences
According to Badiou, politics ends when there is no longer fidelity to the event and its truths. This occurs when the consequences of the event are no longer actively pursued or when people give up on politics and become disinterested or disillusioned. The end of a political sequence can be marked by a lack of new decisions being made that fundamentally change the situation. However, this does not mean that politics as a whole ceases to exist. New events and sequences can always emerge, offering opportunities for political engagement and the pursuit of truth within a situation.
Ethics and the three forms of evil
Badiou introduces the concept of ethics, which is related to the fidelity to truths revealed by events. He identifies three forms of evil that oppose ethics and truth: the semi-lacrum, where an event is not universally recognized and becomes a tool of terror over a situation; betrayal, where people give up on politics and the pursuit of new truths; and the nameable, where a truth is believed to be all-encompassing and capable of explaining everything within a situation. These forms of evil obstruct the fidelity to truth and the pursuit of change and progress.
The importance of fidelity to truth and the extraction of truths
Fidelity to truth is at the core of Badiou's philosophy. It involves the commitment to studying and understanding the truths revealed by events, rather than accepting opinions or assumptions. Badiou believes in the existence of universal truths that challenge the dominant discourses and ways of understanding the world. He emphasizes the necessity of extracting truths from events, which involves a process of thought, action, and the affirmation of something new within a situation. Fidelity to truth enables the exploration of new possibilities and the potential for genuine change in politics and other areas of life.
Summary Conclusion
Alain Badiou's philosophy centers around the concept of events, which are rare and unpredictable occurrences that disrupt the dominant discourses and ways of understanding the world. In politics, events are crucial as they initiate sequences of thought and action. Fidelity to truth and the commitment to understanding the truths revealed by events are essential for genuine change and progress. The end of politics occurs when there is no longer fidelity to the event and its truths, but new events and sequences can always emerge. Ethics plays a role in opposing the three forms of evil that obstruct the fidelity to truth and the pursuit of change. Badiou's philosophy highlights the importance of extracting truths from events and the exploration of new possibilities in politics and beyond.
Resurrection and the Fidelity to Truth
Resurrection, as discussed in Logics of Worlds, refers to the reconstitution of a truth that existed in a past world. This reconstitution allows us to understand and engage with the ideas from that truth in our current situation. Badiou argues that truths participate in eternity, meaning that they can be understood across time and have the potential to be resurrected. Resurrection involves a fidelity to the truth, a willingness to risk and wager ourselves upon it. It does not guarantee success, but it allows us to navigate a precarious world and make decisions that can create political change.
St. Paul and the Foundation of Universalism
Badiou's book on St. Paul explores the significance of Paul's fidelity to the Christ event and its implications for universalism. According to Badiou, Paul's fidelity to the resurrection of Christ expanded the idea of Christianity as a universal religion. It addressed itself to everyone, transcending traditional boundaries like ethnicity or background. Badiou sees Paul as a thinker of events, emphasizing the need for a universal address that overcomes contradictory identities within a situation. This universalism is not a replication of existing ideas, but a creation of a new category that includes all and transforms the political landscape.
In this episode, I am joined by Chris, the Badiou enthusiast who runs the Badiou quote page on Twitter, to help provide an introduction to the contemporary communist French philosopher Alain Badiou and a general (very general) overview of his key ideas. This includes Badiou's theory of being and ‘Events,' his truth procedures, ethics, love, and his theory of the subject, and we try to apply them to current times. We also discuss Badiou’s “metapolitics,” Badiou’s differences with Marxist theory, and his relation to Maoism and political Marxism, and more. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in philosophy and radical egalitarian politics.
