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A Lesson From Political A Lesson From Political ThoughtThought

From Politics of Plurality to From Politics of Plurality to Agonistic DemocracyAgonistic Democracy

Kei YAMAMOTOKei YAMAMOTO

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What is Political thought?

To examine how past thinkers developed their concepts, or what is the origin of their ideas` frameworks

To re- interpret their conceptions adapting them to our current circumstances

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Three Aims of This Presentation

1 To introduce Hannah Arendt

2 To clarify her conception of plurality, and propose its new interpretation

3 To finish my presentation on time 　　　 and not to let people sleep

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Who is Hannah Arendt?(1906-1975)

・ Jewish- German origin

・ Studied with Martin Heidegger, Carl Jaspers etc.

・ Flee Nazism, and wrote many books about totalitarianism and politics.

・ Liked Smoking

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The Public

[…]everything that appears in public can be seen and heard by everybody and has the widest possible publicity. For us, appearance-something that is being seen and heard by others as well as by ourselves-constitutes reality.

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Plurality

Plurality is the condition of human action because we are all the same, that is, human, in such a way that nobody is ever the same as anyone else who ever lived, lives, or will live.

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My Question:

If we interpret plurality as limited in public sphere, plurality is necessarily involved with the exclusion of others who cannot participate in public realm.

Do we have to re-think this conception in the enlarged form?

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My Finding

Plurality is not limited only to public sphere. Rather we have to think it in more enlarged form.

In other words, we have to take others who are not in public sphere or who lived in the past and will live in the future.

Plurality without exclusion

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What is Democracy?What is Democracy?

A Regime of Decision by a Majority?

Government of People?

an agreement through discussion?

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Chantal Mouffe’s Chantal Mouffe’s Agonistic Agonistic

DemocracyDemocracy Politics is agonism between friend and

enemy

Agonistic Model of Democracy acknowledges this conflict

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Agonistic Model enable to open the space where antagonistic or minor others can appear before us and explain their opinions

The Arendt`s conception of plurality requires that we pay attention to absent others, too

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Conclusion and SuggestionConclusion and Suggestion

If we discuss environmental issues, we need to If we discuss environmental issues, we need to take even absent others into account.take even absent others into account.

There may be people in a small island who are There may be people in a small island who are suffering from the rise of ocean surface or suffering from the rise of ocean surface or they may be a new generation in future.they may be a new generation in future.

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　　　　　　　　 Thank youThank you ！！