Problems of normative strength and critique within the concept of agonistic participation: Towards the complementarity of agonistic and participatory democracy

Abstract

In this article I argue that there are grounds for considering agonistic democracy and participatory democracy complementarity in order to institutionalize agonism which has thus far lacked an elaborate articulation of its institutional dimension. The two democratic theories share a commitment toward widening the scope of the political as a way of inclusion of citizens and their subsequent political subjectivation and empowerment. Furthermore, there are authors on both sides who think democracy does not need foundations. Agonistic participation and contestation, on the one hand, and the broadening and strengthening of various sectors of political participation, on the other, both open up new possibilities for critique and change, but also create new risks. Building on a redefinition of agonisitic participation, I aim to attenuate an objection that agonism is normatively weak in terms of lacking resources to motivate citizens and justify their critique of practices of domination and oppression. The article concludes that we need to embrace agonistic participation as a means towards the development of democratic political judgement, as there are no other guarantees, i.e. secure foundations, for our ability to distinguish between democratic and non-democratic agon.

U članku se tvrdi da postoje osnovi komplementarnosti agonističke demokratije i participativne demokratije u pogledu mogućnosti institucionalizacije agonizma koji dosad nije imao razrađenu institucionalnu dimenziju. Dve demokratske teorije dele težnju za širenjem političkog kao načina uključivanja građana i njihove političke subjektivizacije i osnaživanja. Takođe, ima autora na obe strane koji dele shvatanje da demokratiji nisu potrebni temelji. Agonističkom participacijom kao osporavanjem, s jedne strane, i širenjem i jačanjem različitih oblasti političke participacije, s druge, otvaraju se mogućnosti za kritiku i promenu, ali se prostor otvara i za rizike. Oslanjajući se na redefinisanu agonističku participaciju, želim da ublažim prigovor da agonizam nema normativnu snagu u smislu neposedovanja resursa za motivisanje građana i opravdanje njihove kritike praksi dominacije i ugnjetavanja. Zaključak je da je potrebno prihvatiti agonističku participaciju kao sredstvo razvijanja demokratskog političkog rasuđivanja jer nema drugih garancija, tj. nema sigurnosti temelja, koji bi nam omogućili da razlikujemo demokratski od nedemokratskog agona.