Laclau’s Ontological Rhetoric, Universality, and Collective Identity: A Lesson for Cosmopolitan Education

Abstract

Ernesto Laclau’s theory is one of the most complete achievements in political philosophy in recent decades. One of its assets is how Laclau understands universality, and in this chapter his contribution to this field is used to propose an argument in the debate on the (im)possibility of cosmopolitan education. The chapter starts with a brief recapitulation of the basic tenets of Laclau’s theory. Next, I present four instances of the universal which can be distinguished in his work. The first is a uniform sequence of events in the process of identity construction (from scattered demands to identity built around empty signifiers). The second is the universal, ontological impossibility of attaining social totality. The third is the ethical dimension of the process of identity formation. The fourth are theological contexts and connotations of the notion of identity (totality), especially in its relation to emptiness. From this reconstruction, I proceed to the often expressed claim that cosmopolitanism is impossible, arguing that Laclau’s theory sheds new light on this issue, and, further, to my suggestions concerning some points of departure for a possible theory of cosmopolitan education.