Book Reviews
257
While Burnheim is sceptical of any attempt to
impose coherence on the political system, he
acknowledges that different policies must be
compatible (p. 127).
Perhaps it is a failure of imagination on my
part, but I am not convinced that a demarchic
system would improve policymaking. Still,
there is little to be lost by trying it. Moreover,
even if ultimately rejected, this manifesto illus-
trates the potential for the radical reform of
existing political systems.
Ben Saunders
(University of Southampton)
The Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/1478929917689958
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Re-Grounding Cosmopolitanism: Towards
a Post-Foundational Cosmopolitanism
by Tamara Caraus and Elena Paris (eds).
Abingdon: Routledge, 2016. 276pp., 90.00 (h/b),
ISBN 9781138913349
This book is a valuable contribution to the bur-
geoning literature on radical cosmopolitanism,
seeking to explore the cosmopolitan potential of
radical and agonistic political theories (p. 6). The
premise of the book is the post-foundationalist
view that the social world is characterized by
incessant yet ultimately unsuccessful attempts
at constructing foundations which sooner or later
crumble (p. 184). In other words, the book
acknowledges both that there is no final
Archimedean point from which to ground society
and that there nevertheless will be conflicting
attempts to do so. Hence, power is primary to our
understanding of society. With this insight in
mind, the book critically rearticulates the founda-
tions of cosmopolitanism while generally
advancing a more or less radical democratic
agenda. The chapters of the book are structured in
three parts: Grounds, Ontology and Politics. Oxford University Press, 2016. 416pp., 20.00
As an unintended consequence of its post-
foundational focus, large sections of the book
are devoted to discussing the work of thinkers
such as Badiou, Heidegger, Lefort and Marchart,
which could potentially frustrate a reader who is
generally interested in cosmopolitanism but
lacks a specific knowledge of these thinkers or
alternatively a commitment to radical democ-
racy. Nevertheless, several chapters and espe-
cially Oliver Marcharts own chapter succeed in
being critical, without being entirely dismissive
of mainstream names in contemporary cosmo-
politanism, such as David Held.
A second consequence is that the book can
become repetitive. While the first chapter by
Mark Wenman provides a lucid summary of
post-foundationalism in political theory, the fol-
lowing chapters tend to rehearse definitions of
post-foundationalism anew while mounting
familiar critiques of liberal democratic cosmo-
politanism. However, this is perhaps to be
excused in an edited volume that aims at facili-
tating a coherent discussion, especially one
whose authors believe in the political signifi-
cance of various acts of defining and grounding.
The book also redeems itself in this regard, as
it features chapters on thinkers whose works,
while being a source of inspiration for the intel-
lectual left, are rather novel within the context of
this volume. Vronique Pin-Fats chapter
attempts to arrive at a post-foundational sense of
humanity with Wittgenstein, Stephen Connellys
chapter on Spinoza and Samuel Chambers inno-
vative reading of cosmopolitan pedagogy through
Rancire and Nussbaum are especially stimulat-
ing while being generally accessible.
Overall the book achieves a coherent and
engaging discussion of radical cosmopolitanism
from a post-foundational perspective while
managing to host alternative philosophical
approaches. Any reader who is interested in a
radical interpretation of cosmopolitanism or who
is generally sympathetic to post-foundational
thought will appreciate this work.
Burc Kostem
(Bilkent University)
The Author(s) 2017
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DOI: 10.1177/1478929916687776
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Democracy: A Life by Paul Cartledge. Oxford:
(h/b), ISBN 9780199697670
Paul Cartledge is an authority on the subject of
Athenian democracy and the part of the book
that deals with popular government in ancient
Greece is informative, solid and full of inter-
esting facts. The fundamental argument of the
book is in the best sense of the word
Aristotelian. The famous philosopher, whom
Cartledge quotes extensively, noted in The