The Actuality of Communism

One of the rising stars of US critical theory, Bruno Bosteels discusses the new currents of thought represented by figures such as Badiou, Ranciere and Zizek, who are spearheading the recent revival of interest in communism. Bosteels examines this resurgence of communist thought through the prism of 'speculative leftism'-an incapacity to move beyond lofty abstractions and thoroughly rethink the categories of masses, classes and state. Debating those questions with writers including Roberto Esposito and Alberto Moreiras, Bosteels also provides a vital account of the work of the Bolivian Vice President and thinker Alvaro Garcia Linera.

Review

The idea of communism is rising from its grave once again-but what does it effectively amount to? Bosteels confronts this issue with no illusions, in a critical dialogue with today's Leftist thinkers, as well as with radical political practices such those of the Morales government in Bolivia. A beautifully written work which is a must for everyone interested in what's left of the contemporary Left. -- Slavoj Zizek

About the Author

Bruno Bosteels, Professor of Spanish at Duke University, is the author of Badiou and Politics and Marx and Freud in Latin America. He is also the translator of several books by Alain Badiou: Theory of the Subject, Can Politics Be Thought? and What Is Antiphilosophy? Essays on Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, and Lacan. He currently serves as the General Editor of diacritics.