Hegemony and Socialist Strategy Towards a Radical Democratic Politics (Ernesto Laclau & Chantal Mouffe)

Originally published in 1985, Hegemony and Socialist Strategy is a dense political and philosophical look at the concept of hegemony, theories of socialist revolution, and the development and future of the radical Left. I started reading this book back in April but quickly found myself setting it aside time and time again to read something less mentally taxing. When I picked it up again two weeks ago, I re-started and gradually slogged my way through the mere 177 pages plus the introduction and preface. 

Laclau and Mouffee could use a good dose of the plain language movement. I found my myself frequently reaching for a dictionary and more than once moving on to the next page still unsure of what had been discussed on the previous page. Perhaps someone holding a Masters or PhD would have easily skimmed through the pages, but the average reader, like me, is left slightly unsure what the authors are trying to say. 

Eventually, the arguments were made clear to me. Laclau and Mouffe suggest that modern  social-democracy is and must be, by necessity, plural. The class struggle is too broad of a term. The struggle is not unitary but rather plural. There are many struggles, which must build connections between each other. Additionally, there is no privileged class or group with special knowledge to lead the revolution and there are no natural forces which will automatically lead to the revolution. Subjects are not static and as such, they will not remain the same. 

While I enjoyed reading this work, at the same time it frustrated me. Laclau and Mouffe insisted on taking me down dozens of winding paths in order to explain points fully and discount critics. I give them credit for being through, but I would have appreciated more directness.