The Civic Subject vs The Political Subject. The necessary rebelliousness

La Necesaria Rebeldía

Abstract

In this paper, we contrast the characteristics of a civic subject with those of a rough and vulgar political subject. While we acknowledge the importance of civility for establishing a democratic dialogue, she does not immediately entail a democratic subject. Thus, democratic practice requires the emergence of a political subject that does not operate from a safe and structured space, but rather initiates new narratives and symbolic forms that challenge the institutionalized normative framework and set in motion a contingent historical process. Through a critique of the civic subject of liberal democracy, we expose the characteristics of the political subject and how its unforeseen and unpredictable emergence opens up the possibility of liberation through the politicization of proscribed areas of the political space, through resistance and rebellion.