Post-foundationalism and the Possibility of Critique: Comparing Laclau and Mouffe

Since their joint publication of Hegemony and Socialist Strategy, Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe are mostly read as contributors to one collaborative theory. However, Mouffe’s and Laclau’s further enhancement of their theoretical structure differ in significant aspects. Laclau hones his political ontology and provocatively pleads for an ethically reluctant position based on a consequent post-foundationalism. On the contrary, Mouffe develops a normative framework for democratic pluralism. Thus, we argue, their work exemplifies variations in post-foundationalist thought and critique. The tension between Mouffe’s and Laclau’s theoretical continuations unveils a deeper lying ethical commitment of political ontology in general.