The first full-length critical appraisal of Laclau's work, with contributions from leading philosophers and theorists. The collection includes replies to his critics by Laclau and the important exchange between Laclau and Judith Butler on equality.

Introduction Section 1: Philosophy: Universality, Singularity, Difference Rodolphe Gasché How Empty Can Empty Be? On the Place of the Universal Fred Dallmayr Laclau and Hegemony: Some (Post) Hegelian Caveats Oliver Marchart Politics and the Ontological Difference: On the "Strictly Philosophical" in Laclau's Work Rado Riha Politics as the Real of Philosophy Linda Zerilli This Universalism Which Is Not One Section 2: Democracy: Politics, Ethics, Normativity Simon Critchley Is there a Normative Deficit in the Theory of Hegemony? Mark Devenney Ethics and Politics in Discourse Theory Aletta Norval Democratic Decisions and the Question of Universality: Rethinking Recent Approaches William E. Connolly The Ethos of Democratization Jelica Sumic Anarchism of Emancipation or Fidelity to Politics Section 3: Hegemony: Discourse, Rhetorics, Antagonism Jason Glynos and Yannis Stavrakakis Encounters of the Real Kind: Sussing Out the Limits of Laclau's Embrace of Lacan J. Hillis Miller "Taking Up a Task": Moments of Decision in Ernesto Laclau's Thought Urs Stäheli Competing Figures of the Limit: Dispersion, Transgression, Antagonism and Indifference Torben Dyrberg The Political and Politics in Discourse Analysis David Howarth Hegemony, Political Subjectivity and Radical Democracy Ernesto Laclau Glimpsing the Future A Reply Appendix 1: Ernesto Laclau and Judith Butler The Uses of Equality Appendix 2: Bibliography of Ernesto Laclau's Work

' ... is exemplary in its attempt to do justice to the rich and complicated thought of its subject.' - Times Literary Supplement'After the editor's superb introduction that sets the general implication of Laclau's work, a collection of snappy and well-written articles deal with Laclau's novel conceptualisation of hegemony and its implications ... the text is so well edited that it is quite difficult to find any problem with it.' - Political Studies Review