02095nam a2200205Ia 4500020001800000082001900018100002300037245008800060260003700148300001400185440002700199440002100226440002500247440002100272440002200293504003400315520146500349650004701814650002801861  a9781137570680  a 320.01bPAI-P  aPaipais, Vassilios  aPolitical Ontology and International Political Thoughtb: Voiding a Pluralist World  aLondonbPalgrave Macmillanc2017  axiv, 241p  aInternational Relation  aPolitical Theory  aAgonistic Ontologies  aPluralist World   aPolitical Science  aincludes references and index  aThis book challenges received notions of ontology in political theory and international relations by offering a psychoanalytically informed critique of depoliticisation in prominent liberal, post-liberal, dialogic and agonistic approaches to pluralism in world politics. Paipais locates the temptation of depoliticisation in their labouring under the fundamental fantasy of various guises of foundationalism (in the form of either political anthropology or ontology as 'in the last instance' ground) or, conversely, anti-foundationalism (the denial of all grounds, yet still operating within a foundationalist imaginary). He argues, instead, for a formal political ontology of the void (against historicism) shot through an 'incarnate' messianic nihilism (against ethicism and teleological forms of politics). In so doing, the author offers critical readings of the messianic nihilism of Benjamin, Agamben, Taubes and Zizek by problematising the antinomian tendencies in their respective political theologies. The book argues for a version of Zizek's Badiouian politics of militancy supplemented by a proper participatory understanding of St Paul's messianic ontology and incarnational Christology as a means to reconceptualise the nexus between subjectivity, universality and political action in world politics. It will be of interest to students and scholars of International Relations theory, political theory, critical social theory and political theology.  aPolitical ontologyvInternational politics  aPolitical phenomenology