Actuality of Communism

One of the rising stars of contemporary critical theory, Bruno Bosteels discusses the new currents of thought generated by figures such as Alain Badiou, Jacques Rancière and Slavoj Zizek, theorists spearheading the revival of interest in communism. Bosteels discovers a vital break with "speculative leftism"--incapable as it is of moving beyond lofty abstractions--that reconceptualizes the categories of masses, classes and state.

"The idea of communism is rising from its grave once again--but what does it effectively amount to? Bosteels confronts this issue with no illusions, in a critical dialogue with today's Leftist thinkers, as well as with radical political practices such those of the Morales government in Bolivia. A beautifully written work which is a must for everyone interested in what's left of the contemporary Left." Slavoj Zizek

A new salvo in Verso's burgeoning series on communism, after Badiou, Zizek and Groys.

One of the rising stars of contemporary critical theory, Bruno Bosteels discusses the new currents of thought generated by figures such as Alain Badiou, Jacques Rancière and Slavoj Žižek, who are spearheading the revival of interest in communism. Bosteels examines this resurgence of communist thought through the prism of “speculative leftism”—an incapacity to move beyond lofty abstractions and thoroughly rethink the categories of masses, classes and state. Debating those questions with writers including Roberto Esposito and Alberto Moreiras, Bosteels also provides a vital account of the work of the Bolivian Vice President and thinker Alvaro García Linera.