Jacques Rancière
Encyclopedia
Jacques Rancière is a French
philosopher
, Professor of Philosophy at European Graduate School
in Saas-Fee
and Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris (St. Denis)
who came to prominence when he co-authored Reading Capital
(1968), with the structural Marxist
philosopher Louis Althusser
.
Since then, Rancière has departed from the path set by his teacher and published a series of works probing the concepts that make up our understanding of political discourse, such as ideology
and proletariat
. He sought to address whether the working class in fact exists, and how the masses of workers that thinkers like Althusser referred to continuously enter into a relationship with knowledge
, particularly the limits of philosophers' knowledge with respect to the proletariat. An example of this line of thinking is Rancière's book entitled Le philosophe et ses pauvres (The Philosopher and His Poor, 1983), a book about the role of the poor in the intellectual lives of philosophers.
Most recently Rancière has written on the topic of human rights and specifically the role of international human rights organizations in asserting the authority to determine which groups of people — again the problem of masses — justify human rights interventions
, and even war.
Rancière's book, The Ignorant Schoolmaster: Five Lessons in Intellectual Emancipation, published in 1981, was written for educators and educators-to-be. In the text, through the story of Joseph Jacotot
, Rancière challenges his readers to consider equality as a starting point rather than a destination. In doing so, he asks educators to abandon the cultural deficiency and salvation themes so pervasive in educational rhetoric today. Rather than requiring informed schoolmasters to guide students towards prescribed and alienating ends, Rancière argues that educators can channel the equal intelligence in all to facilitate their intellectual growth in virtually unlimited directions. The schoolmaster need not know anything (i.e., s/he may be ignorant). With the premise that all are of equal intelligence, and the insights from which knowledge is constructed can be found in any collective educational exercise founded on this principle, Ranciere claims that the poor and disenfranchised should feel perfectly able to teach themselves whatever it is they want to know. He believes that anyone can lead and that the oppressed should not feel bound to experts or reliant on others for their intellectual emancipation.
, and Rancière has lectured at such art world events as the Frieze Art Fair. Former French presidential candidate Ségolène Royal
has cited Rancière as her favourite philosopher.
Selected articles in English:
Further reading
} A special issue of the journal Labyrinthe, 2004 (in French): "Jacques Rancière, l'indiscipliné"
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
philosopher
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, Professor of Philosophy at European Graduate School
European Graduate School
The European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland is a privately funded graduate school founded by the non-profit European Foundation of Interdisciplinary Studies. Its German name is Europäische Universität für Interdisziplinäre Studien...
in Saas-Fee
Saas-Fee
Saas-Fee is the main village in the Saastal, or the Saas Valley, and is a municipality in the district of Visp in the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
and Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris (St. Denis)
University of Paris VIII: Vincennes - Saint-Denis
The University of Paris VIII or University of Vincennes in Saint-Denis is a public university in Paris. Once part of the federal University of Paris system, it is now an autonomous public institution and is part of the Academy of Créteil...
who came to prominence when he co-authored Reading Capital
Reading Capital
Reading Capital is a 1965 work of Marxist philosophy and theory. The book collects essays developed by Louis Althusser and his students in a seminar on Karl Marx's Das Kapital which took place earlier in 1965...
(1968), with the structural Marxist
Structural Marxism
Structural Marxism was an approach to Marxist philosophy based on structuralism, primarily associated with the work of the French philosopher Louis Althusser and his students. It was influential in France during the 1960s and 1970s, and also came to influence philosophers, political theorists and...
philosopher Louis Althusser
Louis Althusser
Louis Pierre Althusser was a French Marxist philosopher. He was born in Algeria and studied at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, where he eventually became Professor of Philosophy....
.
Life and work
Rancière contributed to the influential volume Reading Capital (though his contribution is not contained in the partial English translation) before publicly breaking with Althusser over his attitude toward the May 1968 student uprising in Paris; Rancière felt Althusser's theoretical stance didn't leave enough room for spontaneous popular uprising.Since then, Rancière has departed from the path set by his teacher and published a series of works probing the concepts that make up our understanding of political discourse, such as ideology
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
and proletariat
Proletariat
The proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class, usually the working class; a member of such a class is proletarian...
. He sought to address whether the working class in fact exists, and how the masses of workers that thinkers like Althusser referred to continuously enter into a relationship with knowledge
Knowledge
Knowledge is a familiarity with someone or something unknown, which can include information, facts, descriptions, or skills acquired through experience or education. It can refer to the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject...
, particularly the limits of philosophers' knowledge with respect to the proletariat. An example of this line of thinking is Rancière's book entitled Le philosophe et ses pauvres (The Philosopher and His Poor, 1983), a book about the role of the poor in the intellectual lives of philosophers.
Most recently Rancière has written on the topic of human rights and specifically the role of international human rights organizations in asserting the authority to determine which groups of people — again the problem of masses — justify human rights interventions
Triage
Triage or ) is the process of determining the priority of patients' treatments based on the severity of their condition. This rations patient treatment efficiently when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately. The term comes from the French verb trier, meaning to separate,...
, and even war.
Rancière's book, The Ignorant Schoolmaster: Five Lessons in Intellectual Emancipation, published in 1981, was written for educators and educators-to-be. In the text, through the story of Joseph Jacotot
Joseph Jacotot
Joseph Jacotot was a French teacher and educational philosopher, creator of the method of "intellectual emancipation." He was born at Dijon on the 4th of March 1770...
, Rancière challenges his readers to consider equality as a starting point rather than a destination. In doing so, he asks educators to abandon the cultural deficiency and salvation themes so pervasive in educational rhetoric today. Rather than requiring informed schoolmasters to guide students towards prescribed and alienating ends, Rancière argues that educators can channel the equal intelligence in all to facilitate their intellectual growth in virtually unlimited directions. The schoolmaster need not know anything (i.e., s/he may be ignorant). With the premise that all are of equal intelligence, and the insights from which knowledge is constructed can be found in any collective educational exercise founded on this principle, Ranciere claims that the poor and disenfranchised should feel perfectly able to teach themselves whatever it is they want to know. He believes that anyone can lead and that the oppressed should not feel bound to experts or reliant on others for their intellectual emancipation.
Influence
In 2006, it was reported that Rancière's aesthetic theory had become a point of reference in the visual artsVisual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
, and Rancière has lectured at such art world events as the Frieze Art Fair. Former French presidential candidate Ségolène Royal
Ségolène Royal
Marie-Ségolène Royal , known as Ségolène Royal, is a French politician. She is the president of the Poitou-Charentes Regional Council, a former member of the National Assembly, a former government minister, and a prominent member of the French Socialist Party...
has cited Rancière as her favourite philosopher.
Selected bibliography
Rancière's work in English translation:- Reading Capital (1968) (With Louis AlthusserLouis AlthusserLouis Pierre Althusser was a French Marxist philosopher. He was born in Algeria and studied at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, where he eventually became Professor of Philosophy....
, Roger EstabletRoger EstabletRoger Establet is a French scholar of the sociology of education. He was a student at lycée Massena in Nice, and in khâgne at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris. in 1959, he entered the École normale supérieure, where he earned degrees in philosophy and sociology. He was a professor at the...
, Pierre MachereyPierre MachereyPierre Macherey is a French Marxist literary critic at Université Lille Nord de France. A former student of Louis Althusser and collaborator on the influential volume Reading "Capital", Macherey is a central figure in the development of French post-structuralism and Marxism...
and Étienne BalibarÉtienne BalibarÉtienne Balibar is a French Marxist philosopher. After the death of his teacher Louis Althusser, Balibar quickly became the leading exponent of French Marxist philosophy.- Life and work :...
- in the French original edition)
- “Reply to Levy”. Telos 33 (Fall 1977). New York: Telos Press.
- The Nights of Labor: The Workers' Dream in Nineteenth-Century France (1989) - This book is an influential work of social historySocial historySocial history, often called the new social history, is a branch of History that includes history of ordinary people and their strategies of coping with life. In its "golden age" it was a major growth field in the 1960s and 1970s among scholars, and still is well represented in history departments...
which examines in detail the records of ordinary workers' lives in order to produce a new picture of their surprising political sophistication ISBN 0-87722-833-7.
- The Ignorant Schoolmaster: Five Lessons in Intellectual Emancipation (1991) - This book describes the emancipatory education of Joseph JacototJoseph JacototJoseph Jacotot was a French teacher and educational philosopher, creator of the method of "intellectual emancipation." He was born at Dijon on the 4th of March 1770...
, a post-Revolutionary philosopher of education who discovered that he could teach things that he himself did not know. The book is both a history and a contemporary intervention in the philosophy and politics of education, through the concept of autodidactism; Rancière chronicles Jacotot's "adventures," but he articulates Jacotot's theory of "emancipation" and "stultification" in the present tense ISBN 0-8047-1969-1.
- The Names of History: On the Poetics of Knowledge (1994) - This is a relatively brief but dense book, arguing for an epistemological critique of the methods and goals of the traditional study of historyHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
. It has been influential in the philosophy of historyPhilosophy of historyThe term philosophy of history refers to the theoretical aspect of history, in two senses. It is customary to distinguish critical philosophy of history from speculative philosophy of history...
- On the Shores of Politics (1995): ISBN 0-86091-637-5
- Disagreement: Politics and Philosophy (1998) - This book is a return to classicalAncient philosophyThis page lists some links to ancient philosophy. In Western philosophy, the spread of Christianity through the Roman Empire marked the ending of Hellenistic philosophy and ushered in the beginnings of Medieval philosophy, whereas in Eastern philosophy, the spread of Islam through the Arab Empire...
texts about the origins and meaning of politicsPoliticsPolitics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, in an attempt to re-theorize a "disagreement" which may not be simply transcendable ISBN 0-8166-2844-0.
- Short Voyages to the Land of the People (2003): ISBN 0-8047-3682-0
- The Politics of Aesthetics: The Distribution of the Sensible, ed. and transl. by Gabriel RockhillGabriel RockhillGabriel Rockhill is a Franco-American philosopher and cultural critic. He is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Villanova University and Directeur de programme at the Collège International de Philosophie in Paris, France...
(2004): ISBN 978-0-82648-954-8
- The Philosopher and His Poor, ed. Andrew ParkerAndrew ParkerAndrew Parker may refer to:* Andrew Parker , U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, 1851–1853* Andrew Parker , Australian zoologist* Andrew Parker , Jamaican Olympic hurdler-See also:...
, co-trans. John Drury, Corinne Oster, and Andrew Parker (2004): ISBN 978-0822332749
- The Future of the Image (2007): ISBN 1-84467-107-0
- Hatred of Democracy (2007): ISBN 978-1-84467-098-7
- The Aesthetic Unconscious (2009), transl., Debra Keates & James Swenson: ISBN 978-0-745-64644-2
- The Emancipated Spectator (2010): ISBN 978-1-84467-343-8
- Dissensus: On Politics and Aesthetics (2010): ISBN: 978-1-847-06445-5
- Chronicles of Consensual Times (2010), tr. by Steven Corcoran: ISBN: 978-0-82644-288-8
- The Politics of Literature (2011), tr. by Julie Rose: ISBN 978-0-74564-531-5
- Staging the People: The Proletarian and His Double (2011), tr. by David Fernbach: ISBN 978-1-844-67697-2
- Althusser's Lesson (2011) - The first English translation of Rancière’s first book, in which he explores and begins to move beyond the thought of his mentor, Louis Althusser (tr. by Emiliano Battista) ISBN 978-1-44110-805-0
- Mallarme: The Politics of the Siren (2011), tr. by Steven Corcoran: ISBN 978-0-826-43840-9
Selected articles in English:
- "Who Is the Subject of the Rights of Man?" The South Atlantic Quarterly, Volume 103, Number 2/3, Spring/Summer 2004, pp. 297–310
- "Is there a Deleuzian Aesthetics?" Tr. Radmila Djordjevic, Qui Parle?, Volume 14, Number 2, 2004, pp. 1–14
Further reading
- Jacques Rancière: Politics, History, Aesthetics. Eds. Phil Watts and Gabriel RockhillGabriel RockhillGabriel Rockhill is a Franco-American philosopher and cultural critic. He is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Villanova University and Directeur de programme at the Collège International de Philosophie in Paris, France...
. (Durham & London: Duke University Press, 2009). Includes essays by, among others, Kristin RossKristin RossKristin Ross is a professor of comparative literature at New York University. She is primarily known for her work on French literature and culture of the 19th and 20th centuries. -Life and work:Ross received her Ph.D...
, Alain BadiouAlain BadiouAlain Badiou is a French philosopher, professor at European Graduate School, formerly chair of Philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure . Along with Giorgio Agamben and Slavoj Žižek, Badiou is a prominent figure in an anti-postmodern strand of continental philosophy...
, Jean-Luc NancyJean-Luc NancyJean-Luc Nancy is a French philosopher.Nancy's first book, published in 1973, was Le titre de la lettre , a reading of the work of French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan, written in collaboration with Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe...
, Peter HallwardPeter HallwardPeter Hallward is a Canadian political philosopher, best known for his work on Alain Badiou and Gilles Deleuze. He has also published works on post-colonialism and contemporary Haiti...
, Bruno BosteelsBruno BosteelsBruno Bosteels is a philologist, a translator, Professor of Romance Studies at Cornell University. He currently serves as the General Editor of diacritics. Bosteels is best known to the English-speaking world for his translations of the work of Alain Badiou...
, Andrew ParkerAndrew ParkerAndrew Parker may refer to:* Andrew Parker , U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, 1851–1853* Andrew Parker , Australian zoologist* Andrew Parker , Jamaican Olympic hurdler-See also:...
, and Étienne BalibarÉtienne BalibarÉtienne Balibar is a French Marxist philosopher. After the death of his teacher Louis Althusser, Balibar quickly became the leading exponent of French Marxist philosophy.- Life and work :...
. Also includes an Afterword by Rancière: "The Method of Equality: An Answer to Some Questions".
- Politica delle immagini. Su Jacques Rancière, ed. by Roberto De Gaetano (Cosenza: Pellegrini, 2011). Includes essays by, among others, Rancière, Alain BadiouAlain BadiouAlain Badiou is a French philosopher, professor at European Graduate School, formerly chair of Philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure . Along with Giorgio Agamben and Slavoj Žižek, Badiou is a prominent figure in an anti-postmodern strand of continental philosophy...
, Jean-Louis Leutrat, Dork Zabunyan.
Video Lectures
- Jacques Rancière. "What Makes Images Unacceptable?" Pacific Northwest College of ArtPacific Northwest College of ArtThe Pacific Northwest College of Art is a private fine art and design college in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Established in 1910, the art school grants bachelor of fine arts degrees and master of fine arts degrees and has an enrollment of about 550 students...
. Portland, Oregon, February 29, 2008 - Jacques Rancière. "Nights of Labour." Sarai CentreThe Sarai Programme at CSDSSarai is a programme of the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies , Delhi. CSDS is an independent social science and humanities research centre, with traditions of dissent and a commitment to public intellectual commitment going back four decades....
for the Centre for the Study of Developing SocietiesCentre for the Study of Developing SocietiesThe Centre for the Study of Developing Societies is an Indian social sciences and humanities research institute. It was founded in 1963 by Rajni Kothari and is largely founded by the Indian Council of Social Science Research...
(CSDS). Video Lecture. February 6, 2009 - Jacques Rancière. "Negation and Cinematic Vertigo." European Graduate SchoolEuropean Graduate SchoolThe European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland is a privately funded graduate school founded by the non-profit European Foundation of Interdisciplinary Studies. Its German name is Europäische Universität für Interdisziplinäre Studien...
. Video Lecture. August 2009
Interviews
- "Democracy Means Equality", interview in Radical Philosophy
- Politics and Aesthetics, Jacques Ranciere interviewed by Peter Hallward, 2003
- Eurozine interview with Ranciere, 2006
- Art of the possible: Fulvia Carnevale and John Kelsey in conversation with Jacques Rancière
- "Art Is Going Elsewhere. And Politics Has to Catch It", Jacques Rancière interviewed by Sudeep Dasgupta, 2008
- "Aesthetics against Incarnation: An Interview by Anne Marie Oliver," Critical Inquiry, 2008 "Jean-Luc Godard, La religion de l'art. Entretien avec Jacques Rancière" paru dans CinémAction, « Où en est le God-Art ? », n° 109, 2003, pp. 106–112, reproduit sur le site d'analyse L'oBservatoire (simple appareil).
Short Articles
- Ten Theses on Politics, 2001
- "Guantanamo, Justice, and Bushspeak: Prisoners of the Infinite", CounterPunchCounterpunchCounterpunch can refer to:* Counterpunch , a punch in boxing* CounterPunch, a bi-weekly political newsletter* Counterpunch , a type of punch used in traditional typography* Punch-Counterpunch, a Transformers character...
article (2002)
} A special issue of the journal Labyrinthe, 2004 (in French): "Jacques Rancière, l'indiscipliné"
External links
- Jacques Rancière Faculty Page at European Graduate SchoolEuropean Graduate SchoolThe European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland is a privately funded graduate school founded by the non-profit European Foundation of Interdisciplinary Studies. Its German name is Europäische Universität für Interdisziplinäre Studien...
- Blog. Discussions and updates on Jacques Rancière
- With and Around Jacques Rancière. Art and Research. Volume 2. No. 1. Summer 2008
- Thomas Campbell Rancière's Lessons. http://www.chtodelat.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=298%3Arancieres-lessons&catid=165%3A14-self-education&Itemid=323&lang=en
- Ben Davis. Jacques Rancière, The Politics of Aesthetics. artnetArtnetartnet is an online service provider for the international art market with headquarters in New York, Berlin and Paris. Additionally, artnet has regional offices in China, the UK and Russia.- Business model :...
. Book Review. August 17, 2006. - Audio Recordings of guest lectures given at U.C. Berkeley. February/March 2008
- Luka Arsenjuk. On Jacques Rancière. Eurozine, 1 March 2007 Adolfo Vásquez Rocca. Jacques Rancière; politics and aisthesis
- Eli Bornowsky Notes on the Politics of Aesthetics. FillipFillipFillip is a Vancouver-based contemporary art publishing organization formed in 2004. It publishes a magazine as well as books of critical writing...
. Book Review. 2006 - Kristin RossKristin RossKristin Ross is a professor of comparative literature at New York University. She is primarily known for her work on French literature and culture of the 19th and 20th centuries. -Life and work:Ross received her Ph.D...
. Kristin Ross on Jacques Rancière ArtforumArtforumArtforum is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art.-Publication:The magazine is published ten times a year, September through May, along with an annual summer issue...
. March 2007 - Juha SuorantaJuha SuorantaJuha Suoranta is a Finnish educational researcher, and public intellectual. He is currently Professor in Adult Education at the University of Tampere. Previously he worked as Professor of Education at the University of Lapland , and Professor of Adult Education at the University of Joensuu...
(2010). Jacques Rancière on Radical Equality and Adult Education. The Encyclopaedia of Philosophy of Education http://www.ffst.hr/ENCYCLOPAEDIA/doku.php?id=jacques_ranciere_on_radical_equality_and_adult_education. - 'The Politics of Aesthetics': Jacques Rancière Interviewed by Nicolas Vieillescazes this interview piece was first posted: 12-01-09 at the website of Naked PunchNaked Punch ReviewNaked Punch Review is a quarterly interdisciplinary review and magazine of philosophy, art, politics and poetry run voluntarily by young figures in those fields...