Approaching to ouevre of an intellectual figure like Badiou for the first time can be an intimidating prospect: What goals does he have in his philosophical writing? What continuity exists between his writings? Where can we situate his thought relative to other philosophers? This book is intended to answer these questions based on a broad reading of Badiou’s work (as well as interviews, etc.). As a result of its specificity, this book is not for the general reader or for someone new to Badiou but rather for someone who is looking for a reference to help make sense of Badiou’s larger project.

The book’s structure is straightforward enough. There are three major sections of the book, each with succinct but pointed chapters. Each of these chapters presents a brief overview of Badiou’s thinking on some particular concept or philosopher, noting important issues and making extensive reference to Badiou’s texts themselves.

What is Badiou doing?

The first section of the book considers foundational concepts to Badiou’s philosophy (e.g. subject). Anyone who has read Badiou knows that reading his work requires a technical, idosyncratic and sometimes controversial understanding of concepts. The first explored is philosophy itself: Feltham offers an analysis of Badiou’s changing understanding of philosophy from his time as a Maoist to his later understanding of philosophy as negotiating the truths of the four conditions of philosophy: mathematics, love, art, and politics.

The next chapter examines what exactly Badiou means by the conditions. For Badiou, philosophy is always determined by the conditions, which provide the truths for philosophical analysis. Clemens summarizes Badiou’s thoughts on the dependency of philosophy on the conditions and on the dangers of suturing philosophy to a condition, as in the case of philosophical approaches that adopt the truth procedure of a condition (e.g. analytic philosophy’s suture to the scientific method or Marxism’s suture to politics, 34).

Besana then offers a succinct treatment of the idea of the subject in Badiou’s thought. Badiou sees the subject as a unique locus of agency in historical process: the subject is not merely some locus of experiences (e.g. phenomenology) nor is the subject merely a myth to be discarded (e.g. post-structuralism). The chapter presents, in brief, what Badiou takes the subject to be and the ways in which such a subject could encounter universal truths.

Finally, the first section of the book closes with an analysis of Badiou’s notion of ontology. Badiou considers mathematics (particularly set theory) to be ontology. Ling devotes this chapter to exploring what Badiou means by this identification, and how the relationship between the two is established throughout Badiou’s work.

What are the conditions?

The middle section of the book specifically considers Badiou’s thinking about each of the four conditions, providing considerable textual reference for the reader. The first chapter focuses on science, the concrete practice of mathematics. Badiou attempts to carve out a space between the passive positivism that would suture philosophical analysis to science and the skepticism towards science that is often stereotypical of continental philosophy. Brassier explores how Badiou’s philosophy allows us to take both science and philosophy seriously without compromising either.

Next, Jöttkandt analyses Badiou’s writings on love. Special attention is paid to the status Badiou gives to love as a truth-procedure, i.e. the extent to which love serves an epistemological role. The extent to which love presents us with the Two (in contrast to the one of ontology) is explained with heavy reference to the texts in which Badiou discusses love.

The next condition addressed is art. Badiou’s texts frequently address the insights provided by particular works (e.g. the ways in which poetry transcends the situation), but Badiou offers nothing like a traditional “aesthetics.” Instead, During presents Badiou’s stance toward the relationship between philosophy and art, and in particular the ways in which art informs philosophy.

Finally, Power and Toscano present a chapter summarizing Badiou’s views on politics as a condition. Like the other conditions, Badiou does not believe that philosophy should suture itself to the truth-procedure of politics. As a Communist, Badiou must walk a fine conceptual line between political engagement and philosophy that draws upon, but is not beholden to, political events.

What is the relationship between Badiou’s work and other philosophers’?

The final section of the book offers several chapters each dedicated to describing Badiou’s relationship with some theorist. In each, some work is done illuminating ways Badiou draws upon their thought and/or offers critique. Fitting the style of the book, each chapter is rich with textual references to Badiou’s discussions of key philosophers and these chapters serve as valuable references for those seeking to situate Badiou’s thought.

First, Bartlett considers the relationship between Badiou and Plato. Because Badiou identifies as a Platonist, the primary goal of the chapter is to explore what precisely that identification means, noting the many key areas of consensus between the two. Finally, some space is devoted to noting the divergence between Plato and Badiou on the status of art (especially poetry).

The next chapter considers the relationship between Badiou and Spinoza. Spinoza’s overarching mathematical methodology (in, e.g. his Ethics) is cited as a key inspiration for Badiou’s methodological commitment to mathematics as well. Badiou’s critiques of Spinoza are highlighted.

Hallward next offers a brief analysis of the relationship between Kant and Badiou. While Badiou tends to explicitly reject Kant’s philosophy, this chapter offers a nuanced reading of the relationship between the two. Particular attention is paid to the overlap between the two, and the parallel ways in which both think about the universality of the subject and ethics.

Next, the relationship between Badiou and Hegel is considered. Because Badiou often cites Hegel as an influence, Bosteels spends much of the chapter explaining this influence. The chapter notes the extent to which Badiou’s thought extends upon dialectics in Hegel’s thought.

Hewson then considers the relationship between Heidegger and Badiou. Both theorists restore ontology to its place as the fundamental project of philosophy and both interrogate the concept of being. However, Badiou’s rejection of Heidegger’s project is explained, as well as the methodological divergence of Heidegger’s (total) and Badiou’s (subtractive) approach to exploring being. Of particular note is the suggestion that Heidegger’s project suffers by suturing philosophy to the poetic truth procedure.

Bartlett and Clemens next present an analysis of the relation between Lacan and Badiou. Again, Badiou often expresses a debt to Lacan, and the chapter analyses the ways in which Badiou’s thought is meant to respond to Lacan’s “antiphilosophical” stance. The central role of mathematics in approaching the real is noted for both theorists.

The last philosopher considered in this section is Deleuze. Both Badiou and Deleuze are important for maintaining that philosophy has a continued project (contrary to those who maintained the end of philosophy). However, while Deleuze begins from a sort of vitalism, Badiou begins from mathematization. The consequences of this difference are explored.

Finally, two closing chapters offer brief reflections on Badiou’s relevance. The first, by Fraser, considers the future challenge of justifying Badiou’s controversial assumptions, particularly the identification of mathematics with ontology. Finally, an afterword by the editors offers some predictions about the future of Badiou scholarship.

Conclusion

As I stated at the beginning of the review, this book is not intended for the general reader, nor will this book be immediately accessible to someone new to Badiou. However, for those who have begun reading Badiou and who seek a comprehensive reference of his core concepts, this book is extremely valuable. Each chapter is so rich with textual reference that this book will be helpful in providing much-needed direction in orienting readers new to Badiou’s work.

 

© 2011 Lucas Keefer

 

 

Lucas Keefer is currently a graduate student studying philosophy and psychology at Georgia State University. His primary interests include social psychology, phenomenology, and philosophy of mind. He can be reached at lucas.keefer@gmail.com