Which subject? Which change?: Laclau and the problem of the subject of transformative political action

Abstract

The present article seeks to explore the problem of the political subject considering the theoretical contributions of a post-Marxist author such as Ernesto Laclau, who has proposed, from non-essentialist perspectives, alternatives to theorize the problem of the subject and the processes of social emancipation. Based on the concepts of antagonism and hegemony of Ernesto Laclau, the paper proposes a notion of political action as molecular transformation processes that are constantly re-established and modified over time, so that tactics reconfigure the political strategy that no longer obeys objective foundations. Finally, the article illustrates the concept of political action with two brief examples of Chilean political reality.