The Impolitic in the Thought of Roberto Esposito: A Critique of the Concept of “Representation”
by Constanza Serratore
pp. 290-314 Issue 8 (4,2) – July-December 2017 ISSN (online): 2539/2239 ISSN (print): 2389-8232 DOI: 10.17450/170219
Abstract
In this article, we reconstruct very briefly the use of the term “impolitic” which authors such as Thomas Mann and Massimo Cacciari have accomplished in the twentieth century. Taking the relevant distance regarding these formulations, the position of Roberto Esposito is reconstructed in relation to the concept of “impolitic”. To do this, first, the four main objections to the concept are explained and answered. Subsequently, it is related to the concept of “representation” because it is considered to be one of the central categories of modern political thought. The method used by Esposito to confront the notion of “representation” is deconstruction. However, we find in the category of “power” inscribed in the heart of Italian thought the possibility of leaving the moment of deconstruction to think the possibility of an affirmative policy.