The Great Regression

We are living through a period of dramatic political change Brexit, the election of Trump, the rise of extreme right movements in Europe and elsewhere, the resurgence of nationalism and xenophobia and a concerted assault on the liberal values and ideals associated with cosmopolitanism and globalization. Suddenly we find ourselves in a world that few would have imagined possible just a few years ago, a world that seems to many to be a move backwards. How can we make sense of these dramatic developments and how should we respond to them? Are we witnessing a worldwide rejection of liberal democracy and its replacement by some kind of populist authoritarianism? This timely volume brings together some of the world's greatest minds to analyse and seek to understand the forces behind this 'great regression'. Writers from across disciplines and countries, including Paul Mason, Pankaj Mishra, Slavoj Zizek, Zygmunt Bauman, Arjun Appadurai, Wolfgang Streeck and Eva Illouz, grapple with our current predicament, framing it in a broader historical context, discussing possible future trajectories and considering ways that we might combat this reactionary turn. The Great Regression is a key intervention that will be of great value to all those concerned about recent developments and wondering how best to respond to this unprecedented challenge to the very core of liberal democracy and internationalism across the world today. For more information, see: thegreatregression.eu

We are living through a period of dramatic political change - Brexit, the election of Trump, the rise of extreme right movements in Europe and elsewhere, the resurgence of nationalism and xenophobia and a concerted assault on the liberal values and ideals associated with cosmopolitanism and globalization. Suddenly we find ourselves in a world that few would have imagined possible just a few years ago, a world that seems to many to be a move backwards. How can we make sense of these dramatic developments and how should we respond to them? Are we witnessing a worldwide rejection of liberal democracy and its replacement by some kind of populist authoritarianism?This timely volume brings together some of the world's greatest minds to analyse and seek to understand the forces behind this 'great regression'. Writers from across disciplines and countries, including Paul Mason, Pankaj Mishra, Slavoj Zizek, Zygmunt Bauman, Arjun Appadurai, Wolfgang Streeck and Eva Illouz, grapple with our current predicament, framing it in a broader historical context, discussing possible future trajectories and considering ways that we might combat this reactionary turn.The Great Regression is a key intervention that will be of great value to all those concerned about recent developments and wondering how best to respond to this unprecedented challenge to the very core of liberal democracy and internationalism across the world today.For more information, see: thegreatregression.eu

List of ContributorsPrefaceHeinrich Geiselberger1. Democracy FatigueArjun Appadurai2. Symptoms in Search of an Object and a NameZygmunt Bauman3. Progressive and Regressive Politics in Late NeoliberalismDonatella della Porta4. Progressive Neoliberalism versus Reactionary Populism: A Hobson?s ChoiceNancy Fraser5. Populism or the Crisis of Liberal Elites: The Case of IsraelEva Illouz6. Majoritarian FuturesIvan Krastev7. Europe as refugeBruno Latour8. Overcoming the Fear of FreedomPaul Mason9. Politics in the Age of Resentment. The Dark Legacy of the EnlightenmentPankaj Mishra10. The Courage to be AudaciousRobert Misik11. Decivilisation. On regressive tendencies in Western democraciesOliver Nachtwey12. From Global Regression to Post-Capitalist Counter-MovementsCesar Rendueles13. The Return of the Repressed as the Beginning of the End of Neoliberal CapitalismWolfgang Streeck14. Dear President JunckerDavid Van Reybrouck15. The Populist TemptationSlavoj Zizek