Philosophy and the idea of communism - Alain Badiou

In a well-known text called 'The CommunistHypothesis', first published in 2007, the renownedphilosopher Alain Badiou breathed fresh life into the idea ofcommunism as an intellectual representation that provides acritical perspective on existing politics and offers a systemicalternative to capitalism.

Now, in the course of this wide-ranging conversation with PeterEngelmann, Alain Badiou explains why he continues to value the ideaof communism against the background of current social crises anddespite negative historical experiences. From the anticipation of acommunism without a state to the problem of the concept ofdemocracy and an analysis of capitalism as a system, the twothinkers discuss the key political issues of our time. Whilstexplaining his political philosophy, Badiou also reflects oncurrent socio-political developments such as the turmoil in theMiddle East and the situation in China.

This compelling dialogue is both a highly topical contributionto the question of how we might organize our societies differentlyand an accessible introduction to Badiou's philosophicalthinking.