Chantal Mouffe, Agonism, and Democracy

By: Arjun Verma

​Democracy today is in crisis. Populism, climate change, authoritarianism, income inequality, structural racism, and more all threaten the very foundation of democratic ideals. Yet, Chantal Mouffe’s vision of a radical agonistic democracy offers a solution.

​What did Chantal Mouffe believe?

Chantal Mouffe is a Belgian political philosopher, who advocates a radicalized form of democracy that rethinks what democracy should be. She believes that politics necessarily is constructed based on the distinction between an “us” and a “them.” This constitutive necessity of politics is the only thing that mobilizes people behind a cause and can generate political action. Mouffe argues that any determination of who belongs to a certain political movement necessarily involves the exclusion of others.

However, she’s careful to draw a distinction between the different forms of interactions with those outside of our group. Typically, politics is constructed antagonistically, where groups don’t treat the other side as legitimate and instead as an enemy that must be destroyed. This form of politics is a zero-sum game and prevents meaningful dialogue between these enemies.
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That’s where Mouffe introduces the alternative strategy of agonism. Mouffe asks us to rethink this mindset by treating the other side not as an “enemy” but as an “adversary.” What this entails is that we recognize that other viewpoints and ideas are legitimate even if we disagree with them. It’s important to note that this does not imply that all forms of disagreement are stifled. Rather, this forms a pluralist and vibrant democracy which recognizes the necessity of disagreement without the antagonism that typically accompanies it.

​Why is it important today?

Indigenous communities have been the victims of this assimilation across the globe. How can we respect their sovereignty more effectively today to amend for the past? This is a photo I took at Machu Picchu in Peru.

Today, democracy faces crises of all types. However, they all have one thing in common: they have undermined the trust in the democratic system itself. Whether it be collective action to resolve climate change, fighting back against voter suppression, or restoring faith in elections, the democratic question has become of utmost importance.

Many of democracy’s struggles stem from the logic of either antagonism or universalism that Mouffe critiques.

For example, the political polarization that plagues many democracies is based on an antagonistic belief where both sides believe their agendas to be incompatible with one another. Groups are demonized and pitted against one another, which precludes any hope of progress in a functional democracy.

Additionally, many populist campaigns have based their political strategies on an antagonism against other groups. Whether that be immigrants stealing jobs or Asians bringing diseases, stereotypes that spread generalizing negative conceptions of other groups often breed violence and exclusion against those groups.
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On the other side of the spectrum, we often suffer from a form of false universalism as well. Cultures across the globe are being erased as globalization encroaches on local customs, traditions, and languages. Failing to recognize that we have a diverse set of backgrounds and attempting to paper over these differences also undermines the logic of democracy itself because it risks turning the essential democratic dialogue into a monologue. For example, Native American groups have had their culture risk extinction due to forced assimilation and struggling economic conditions. These trends deserve the same attention as the antagonistic tendencies that also threaten democracy.

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​What can we do?

An agonistic democracy is, by its nature, radical. It would require a restructuring of our political system and a mindset shift for everyone. Yet, it is worth it. It’s unsustainable for a society to be built on the logic of attempting to destroy others simply for their beliefs and not respecting their right to legitimate opinions.

There is hope, however. Democracies can focus on fighting back against antagonism by promoting collaboration between groups, instilling the importance of respectful dialogue, and defending minority groups against stigmatization and exclusion.

​If we value democracy, we have to rethink how politics is constructed and work towards a better future that allows us to realize the true potential of democracy.

Arjun Verma

Arjun is a current high school junior. He is a captain of his high school's Lincoln Douglas debate team.