Alain Badiou, Rhapsody For The Theatre: A Short Philosophical Treatise

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"For Alain Badiou, theatre—unlike cinema—is the place for the staging of a truly emancipatory collective subject. In this sense theatre is, of all the arts, the one strictly homologous to politics: both theatre and politics depend on a limited set of texts or statements, collectively enacted by a group of actors or militants, which put a limit on the excessive power of the state. This explains why the history of theatre has always been inseparable from a history of state repression and censorship.

This definitive collection includes not only Badiou’s pamphlet Rhapsody for the Theatre but also essays on Jean-Paul Sartre, on the political destiny of contemporary theatre, and on Badiou’s own work as a playwright, as author of the Ahmed Tetralogy."  

The Speculative Turn: Continental Materialism and Realism

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"Continental philosophy has entered a new period of ferment. The long deconstructionist era was followed with a period dominated by Deleuze, which has in turn evolved into a new situation still difficult to define. However, one common thread running through the new brand of continental positions is a renewed attention to materialist and realist options in philosophy. Among the leaders of the established generation, this new focus takes numerous forms. It might be hard to find many shared positions in the writings of Badiou, DeLanda, Laruelle, Latour, Stengers, and Žižek, but what is missing from their positions is an obsession with the critique of written texts. All of them elaborate a positive ontology, despite the incompatibility of their results. Meanwhile, the new generation of continental thinkers is pushing these trends still further, as seen in currents ranging from transcendental materialism to the London-based speculative realism movement to new revivals of Derrida. As indicated by the title The Speculative Turn, the new currents of continental philosophy depart from the text-centered hermeneutic models of the past and engage in daring speculations about the nature of reality itself. This anthology assembles authors, of several generations and numerous nationalities, who will be at the centre of debate in continental philosophy for decades to come."  

Alain Badiou, The Incident at Antioch/L'Incident d'Antioche: A Tragedy in Three Acts/Tragédie en trois actes (French and English)

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NOTE: The format of this e-book has been modified. The printed book presented French and English text on facing pages. In the e-book, links at the beginning of each Act and Scene connect to French and English versions.

Translated by SUSAN SPITZER

Introduction by KENNETH REINHARD

PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION:

"The Incident at Antioch" is a key play marking Alain Badiou's transition from classical Marxism to a "politics of subtraction" far removed from party and state. Written with striking eloquence and extraordinary poetic richness, and shifting from highly serious emotional and intellectual drama to surreal comic interlude, the work features statesmen, workers, and revolutionaries struggling to reconcile the nature and practice of politics. 

This bilingual edition presents "L'Incident d'Antioche" in its original French and an expertly executed English translation {the printed book version (perfect bound) is an ''en face'' bilingual edition}. 

Badiou adds a special preface, and an introduction by the scholar Kenneth Reinhard connects the play to Paul Claudel's 'The City', Saint Paul and the early history of the Church, and the innovative mathematical thinking of Paul Cohen. 

The translation includes Susan Spitzer's extensive notes clarifying allusions and quotations and hinting at Badiou's intentions. An interview with Badiou encompasses the play's settings, themes, and events, as well as his ongoing literary and conceptual experimentation on stage and off. 

KENNETH REINHARD is associate professor of English at the University of California, Los Angeles. He also wrote the "Introduction" to Badiou's "Plato's Republic: A Dialogue in 16 Chapters". Reinhard is the coauthor of "The Neighbor: Three Inquiries in Political Theology" and "After Oedipus: Shakespeare in Psychoanalysis". 

SUSAN SPITZER is a frequent translator of Badiou’s works, most recently his "Plato's Republic: A Dialogue in 16 Chapters" and "Five Lessons on Wagner".