In the search of the foundation. Reflections on the aporetic nature of the political and its normative implications

Abstract

This article examines the role of foundation and normativity within the conceptions of the social and political dimensions in the epistemological and political frameworks of Rosanvallon, Laclau, and Mouffe. For this purpose, it revisits Schmitt's distinction between "the political" and "politics," a distinction the French author employs to assert the aporetic nature of political concepts, elucidate their semantic transformations, and propose a non-prescriptive analysis of society and democracy. Subsequently, the article explores how agonistic thought addresses these issues and conceptualizes the relationship between theory and normativity. Finally, it contrasts these two developments to demonstrate that recognizing the ontological incompleteness of the political is essential for understanding society, politics, and their transformations. However, it argues that such a position cannot forego normative or prescriptive dimensions.