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Change Quote by Slavoj Žižek

“We do not get to vote on who owns what, or on relations in factory and so on, for all this is deemed beyond the sphere of the political, and it is illusory to expect that one can actually change things by "extending" democracy to ple's control. Radical changes in this domain should be made outside…” quote by Slavoj Žižek
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““We do not get to vote on who owns what, or on relations in factory and so on, for all this is deemed beyond the sphere of the political, and it is illusory to expect that one can actually change things by "extending" democracy to ple's control. Radical changes in this domain should be made outside the sphere of legal "rights", etcetera: no matter how radical our anti-capitalism, unless this is understood, the solution sought will involve applying democratic mechanisms (which, of course, can have a positive role to play)- mechanisms, one should never forget, which are themselves part of the apparatus of the "bourgeois" state that guarantees the undisturbed functioning of capitalist reproduction. In this precise sense, Badiou hit the mark with his apparently wired claim that "Today, the enemy is not called Empire or Capital. It's called Democracy." it is the "democratic illusion" the acceptance of democratic procedures as the sole framework for any possible change, that blocks any radical transformation of capitalist relations.””

Slavoj Žižek

About This Quote

Source Essay: “The Parallax View of Democracy”, 2015

Democracy is portrayed as a false solution that masks deeper capitalist structures, preventing radical change.

In simple terms: Democracy can be an illusion that blocks true transformation.

Key Takeaway

Question democratic assumptions.

Themes

politics democracy capitalism radical change

Mood

critical analytical

Type

philosophical theoretical

When to use this quote

  • activism
  • policy reform
  • social movements
  • academic debate

Key Concepts

political theory critical theory

Questions to Reflect On

  • What alternatives to democratic processes could enable radical change?
  • How does democracy both enable and constrain transformation?
A Different Perspective

Democratic mechanisms can still offer incremental improvements.

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