ONLINE FIRST
published on January 1, 2019
Nathan Eckstrand
https://doi.org/10.5840/radphilrev2018122792
Does Fidelity to Revolutionary Truths Undo Itself?
Systems Theory on Badiou and ?i?ek
This article examines Alain Badiou¡¯s and Slavoj ?i?ek¡¯s advocacy for fidelity to revolutionary truths in light of complex system theory¡¯s understanding of resiliency. It begins with a discussion of how Badiou and ?i?ek describe truth. Next, it looks at the features that make a complex system resilient. The article argues that if we understand neoliberalism as a resilient system, then the fidelity to revolutionary truths that Badiou and ?i?ek advocate is not enough, for it doesn¡¯t realize how truths come from the system as a whole. The article concludes by describing how this viewpoint alters discussions of political change.