The Romanian Revolution of 1989 ended 42 years of Communist rule. It was the bloodiest revolution in a Warsaw Pact country, culminating in the overthrow and execution of Nicolae Ceaușescu. However, there was no major democratic reform and power remained in the hands of key figures from the old regime. This has led many theorists to question the authenticity of the entire revolution.
Performative Contradiction and the Romanian Revolution focuses-in on the circumstances which led to these accusations. It argues that the notion of an authentic revolution, as a conceptual paradigm, is neither a sufficient, appropriate, nor useful tool for an analysis of the events in Romania. Engaging with the work of theorists including Stieglar, Agamben, Baudrillard, Badiou, Spinoza and Derrida it argues that performative contradiction is a more useful theoretical model for exploring this event. Applying the concept to specific cases within the revolution, the book demonstrates the power of performative contradiction as an analytic tool.
Author(s): Jolan Bogdan
Series: Critical Perspectives on Theory, Culture and Politics
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Year: 2017
Language: English
Pages: 218
City: Lanham
Cover
Half Title
Series Information
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction: In Search of a New Paradigm for the Romanian Revolution
Notes
Chapter One Performative Contradiction: Structuralist and Post-Structuralist Perspectives
Notes
Chapter Two The Performance of Authenticity: Philosophers Question the Revolution
Notes
Chapter Three The Problem with the “Event”: Badiou’s Split Loyalties
Notes
Chapter Four Nostalgia for the Old Regime: A Freudian Interpretation
Notes
Chapter Five Pro-Natal Legislation and the Systematic Destruction of Intimacy
Notes
Chapter Six The Interruption of Mourning: On Forbidden Burials
Notes
Chapter Seven On Violence: Can the Revolution Be Saved?
Notes
Conclusion: Other Examples
Notes
Bibliography
Index
