Chantal Mouffe and the Agonistic Model of Democracy

A Conservative Proposal?

Authors

  • Vinícius Defillo Pintor UFABC - Universidade Federal do ABC

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18764/2675-8369v3n2.2025.02

Keywords:

Agonism, Conservadorism, Democracy, Mouffe

Abstract

The philosopher Chantal Mouffe devoted her work to the construction of what she terms as “agonistic model of democracy”. She regards her theory as one of radical and plural democracy, capable of combating prevailing relations of oppression. However, this article challenges the supposed progressive nature of the author's intellectual production, especially concerning her twenty-first century writings. It argues that beneath the radical veneer lies a conservative proposal in which agonisms are nothing more than domesticated conflicts—contests constrained by rules that ultimately cause these clashes to reinforce the status quo far more than they serve as potentially transformative forces of social reality.

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References

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Published

2026-02-04

How to Cite

DEFILLO PINTOR, Vinícius.
Chantal Mouffe and the Agonistic Model of Democracy: A Conservative Proposal?
. Barricadas: Revista de Filosofia e Interdisciplinaridade, v. 3, n. 2, p. 16–48, 4 Feb. 2026 Disponível em: https://periodicoseletronicos.ufma.br/index.php/barricadas/article/view/26728. Acesso em: 17 feb. 2026.