The Century (book)
Encyclopedia
The Century is a book about politics
, philosophy and literature
by Alain Badiou
, first published in French by Éditions du Seuil in 2005
; the English translation by Alberto Toscano
was published by Polity Press
in 2007. The thirteen chapters of the book are presented as lessons derived from a seminar Badiou gave at the College International de Philosophie
between 1998-2001. Badiou's analysis of the 20th century is drawn from his unique encounter with 20th century poetry
and theater, literary theory
, totalitarianism
, and the search for meaningful narratives that are neither logical nor dialectical. He warns against "animal humanism" and advocates "formalized inhumanism".
and concentrates upon the "short century" of 75 years, beginning with the wars of 1914-18
(including the Russian Revolution of 1917) and closing with the collapse of the USSR and the end of the Cold War
.
Badiou agrees with André Malraux
's observation that politics
has turned into tragedy
in the 20th century and adds that "the century was haunted by the idea of creating a new man." He suggests the political project enacting that tragedy is driven by profit
motives, as well as "criminals as anonymous
as joint-stock companies."
's poem The Age (1923
) which depicts the wounded body of a beast. The degree to which the century can be considered as living recalls the vitalism
of Henri Bergson
, and Badiou contrasts it to Friedrich Nietzsche
's concept of The Will to Power
and the Übermensch
. Badiou also compares 19th century's submission to the movement of Hegelian
history with the 20th century's effort to confront history face to face. This kind of voluntarism
has been marred by horrendous experiences of war. Badiou suggests that such butchery has instilled doubt and nostalgia
for historical moments of the past and states that the 20th century sought to fulfill the promises of the 19th century, including Marx's concept of revolution
. In Lacanian terms, Badiou indicates that the experience of The Real
is always in part the experience of horror.
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, philosophy and literature
Philosophy and literature
Philosophy and literature is the literary treatment of philosophers and philosophical themes, and the philosophical treatment of issues raised by literature.-The philosophy of literature:...
by Alain Badiou
Alain Badiou
Alain Badiou is a French philosopher, professor at European Graduate School, formerly chair of Philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure . Along with Giorgio Agamben and Slavoj Žižek, Badiou is a prominent figure in an anti-postmodern strand of continental philosophy...
, first published in French by Éditions du Seuil in 2005
2005 in literature
The year 2005 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*February 25 - Canada Reads selects Rockbound by Frank Parker Day as the novel to be read across the nation....
; the English translation by Alberto Toscano
Alberto Toscano
Alberto Toscano is a cultural critic, social theorist, philosopher and translator best known to the English-speaking world for his translations of the work of Alain Badiou, including Badiou’s The Century and Logics of Worlds...
was published by Polity Press
Polity (publisher)
Polity is an international publisher in the social sciences and humanities. It publishes around 100 books a year in sociology, politics, philosophy, media and cultural studies, health studies, literary studies, history, anthropology and related subjects. Its books range from core textbooks for...
in 2007. The thirteen chapters of the book are presented as lessons derived from a seminar Badiou gave at the College International de Philosophie
Collège international de philosophie
The Collège international de philosophie , located in Paris' 5th arrondissement, is a tertiary education institute placed under the trusteeship of the French government department of research and chartered under the French 1901 Law on associations...
between 1998-2001. Badiou's analysis of the 20th century is drawn from his unique encounter with 20th century poetry
20th century in poetry
-Decades and years:...
and theater, literary theory
Literary theory
Literary theory in a strict sense is the systematic study of the nature of literature and of the methods for analyzing literature. However, literary scholarship since the 19th century often includes—in addition to, or even instead of literary theory in the strict sense—considerations of...
, totalitarianism
Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism is a political system where the state recognizes no limits to its authority and strives to regulate every aspect of public and private life wherever feasible...
, and the search for meaningful narratives that are neither logical nor dialectical. He warns against "animal humanism" and advocates "formalized inhumanism".
The search for a method
Badiou conceives of the century as a durationDuration (Bergson)
Duration is a theory of time and consciousness posited by the French philosopher Henri Bergson. Bergson sought to improve upon inadequacies he perceived in the philosophy of Herbert Spencer, due, he believed, to Spencer's lack of comprehension of mechanics, which led Bergson to the conclusion that...
and concentrates upon the "short century" of 75 years, beginning with the wars of 1914-18
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
(including the Russian Revolution of 1917) and closing with the collapse of the USSR and the end of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
.
Badiou agrees with André Malraux
André Malraux
André Malraux DSO was a French adventurer, award-winning author, and statesman. Having traveled extensively in Indochina and China, Malraux was noted especially for his novel entitled La Condition Humaine , which won the Prix Goncourt...
's observation that politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
has turned into tragedy
Tragedy
Tragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
in the 20th century and adds that "the century was haunted by the idea of creating a new man." He suggests the political project enacting that tragedy is driven by profit
Profit (economics)
In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total opportunity costs of a venture to an entrepreneur or investor, whilst economic profit In economics, the term profit has two related but distinct meanings. Normal profit represents the total...
motives, as well as "criminals as anonymous
Anonymity
Anonymity is derived from the Greek word ἀνωνυμία, anonymia, meaning "without a name" or "namelessness". In colloquial use, anonymity typically refers to the state of an individual's personal identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown.There are many reasons why a...
as joint-stock companies."
The beast
Badiou considers the century as conceived in Osip MandelstamOsip Mandelstam
Osip Emilyevich Mandelstam was a Russian poet and essayist who lived in Russia during and after its revolution and the rise of the Soviet Union. He was one of the foremost members of the Acmeist school of poets...
's poem The Age (1923
1923 in poetry
-- From Robert Frost's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening", first published this year in his collection New HampshireNationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature .-Events:...
) which depicts the wounded body of a beast. The degree to which the century can be considered as living recalls the vitalism
Vitalism
Vitalism, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is#a doctrine that the functions of a living organism are due to a vital principle distinct from biochemical reactions...
of Henri Bergson
Henri Bergson
Henri-Louis Bergson was a major French philosopher, influential especially in the first half of the 20th century. Bergson convinced many thinkers that immediate experience and intuition are more significant than rationalism and science for understanding reality.He was awarded the 1927 Nobel Prize...
, and Badiou contrasts it to Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
's concept of The Will to Power
The Will to Power
The Will to Power is the title given to a book of selectively reordered notes from the literary remains of Friedrich Nietzsche by his sister Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche and Heinrich Köselitz...
and the Übermensch
Übermensch
The Übermensch is a concept in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche posited the Übermensch as a goal for humanity to set for itself in his 1883 book Thus Spoke Zarathustra ....
. Badiou also compares 19th century's submission to the movement of Hegelian
Hegelianism
Hegelianism is a collective term for schools of thought following or referring to G. W. F. Hegel's philosophy which can be summed up by the dictum that "the rational alone is real", which means that all reality is capable of being expressed in rational categories...
history with the 20th century's effort to confront history face to face. This kind of voluntarism
Voluntarism
Voluntarism is a descriptive term for a school of thought that regards the will as superior to the intellect and to emotion. This description has been applied to various points of view, from different cultural eras, in the areas of metaphysics, psychology, sociology, and theology.The term...
has been marred by horrendous experiences of war. Badiou suggests that such butchery has instilled doubt and nostalgia
Nostalgia
The term nostalgia describes a yearning for the past, often in idealized form.The word is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of , meaning "returning home", a Homeric word, and , meaning "pain, ache"...
for historical moments of the past and states that the 20th century sought to fulfill the promises of the 19th century, including Marx's concept of revolution
Communist revolution
A communist revolution is a proletarian revolution inspired by the ideas of Marxism that aims to replace capitalism with communism, typically with socialism as an intermediate stage...
. In Lacanian terms, Badiou indicates that the experience of The Real
The Real
The Real refers to that which is authentic, the unchangeable truth in reference both to being/the Self and the external dimension of experience, also referred to as the infinite and absolute - as opposed to a reality based on sense perception and the material order.-In psychoanalysis:The Real is a...
is always in part the experience of horror.