Democracy and Community

The concept of community is tainted by the events of the twentieth century, frequently appropriated by totalitarian regimes for the purposes of exclusion and oppression. In this dialogue with Peter Engelmann, philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy attempts to reframe community as central to a reconceptualization of politics and democracy.

Observing that all our interactions are in some way shared experiences, Nancy demonstrates that a common sense of life precedes our existence as individuals: we can only truly make sense of life in a plurality. Democracy is typically concerned with establishing political unity, yet its greater task lies in community: creating a space in which sense can realize itself and circulate.

This conversation with one of France’s foremost thinkers will be of great interest to all readers of contemporary philosophy and political theory.

Jean-Luc Nancy is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Université Marc Bloch in Strasbourg and teaches Political Philosophy and Media Aesthetics at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee.

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