FROM THE MARGINS: RANCIÈRE AND THE DISPUTE BETWEEN RADICAL DISSENSUS AND CONSENSUS

Abstract

This article examines how Jacques Rancière addresses the dynamic between the political and politics in his book On the Shores of Politics, exploring how margins and borders emerge as crucial spaces for democratic renewal. It argues that the political, understood as the site of contingency and disruptive potential, contrasts with institutionalized politics, which seeks to stabilize and regulate the social order. From this perspective, the borders present themselves as places where disorder and possibility converge, where genuine transformations occur by challenging established power structures. The metaphor of "turning one's back on the sea" encapsulates the idea that ignoring the political borders would mean losing sight of the transformative potential they hold. In these spaces, every grain of sand in the political arena tells a story of resistance and change, highlighting the capacity of the political to articulate new forms of participation and collective action. Looking towards the borders not only allows for a better understanding of the complexity of democracy but also invites exploration of how diversity and disagreement can enrich political practice. Finally, it is argued that keeping the discussion on the borders of the political alive is crucial for nurturing a vibrant and adaptive democracy, free from consensus. These borders not only challenge established norms but also offer opportunities to innovate and reinvent our understanding of politics as a dynamic and ever-evolving process. It is a brief reading of Rancière for today's political landscape.