Populism, Right-Wing Movements
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Abstract
Abstract
Abstract: In On Populist Reason , Ernesto Laclau takes Freud as his point of departure to argue that populism is not a pathological form of democracy, but its intrinsic rationality and possibility, and already embedded in democratic practices, ideals, and struggles. I delineate three of Laclau's Freudian premises and identify limitations or flaws in his appropriation. In distinguishing between a primary populism and a secondary populism, I argue that both Laclau's conception of symbolic representation and his presentation of the leader's role in group psychology fall prey to a version of sovereign loyalty that undermines independent agency and judgment.
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@article{Zakin2026Primary,
title = {Primary Populism and Secondary Populism: Laclau, Symbolic Representation, and Group Psychology},
author = {Emily Zakin},
journal = {Theory & Event},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1353/tae.2026.a993501},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1353/tae.2026.a993501}
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