Theater, Number, Event: Three Studies on the Relationship between Sovereignty, Power and Truth

Contents


Acknowledgements xi

Preface xv

Introductions I & II xix

1. Study I: Liturgical Origins of Sovereignty 1
Elements of a Logic of Liturgy 5
History 5
Theatre 8
Taxation 11
Persona 12
A New Liturgy I 18
A New Liturgy II 23
Persona Mixta 29
Figure 34
Christus-Fiscus 36
Conclusion: The Sacralization of Emergency 43

2. Passage I: Liturgy-Icon-Idol-Number 56
Liturgy – Once again 59
Icon 65
Idol 72
Number I 79
Number II 83

3. Study II: The Numerical Logic of Sovereignty 99
Trembling and Politics: A Note on Machiavelli and Althusser 100
Liturgy-Icon-Idol-Number: To Make the Series Tremble 108
Liturgy 109
Icon 112
Idol 116
Number 118
Counting and Trembling during the French Revolution – Elements of a Historical Multiplicity 123
Adunation 123
Counting 126
Trembling 137
What is a “historical multiplicity”? A concluding note on torsion 142

4. Passage II: Anonymity-Aristocracy-Singularity-Event 157
A note on Alain Badiou’s (non) relation with Gilles Deleuze 160
Anonymity (any-one) 167
Aristocracy (one) 173
Singularity (one one) 177
Event (one) 182

5. Study III: Evental Supplements of (Non)Sovereignty 199
Patria: Genealogy of a Singularity 202
Patria: Future of a Void 209
Conversion of the alea: From Event to Danger 213
“An Inviolable and Sacred Debt” 221
Universal Constitution and the Exceptional Event 227
Madness and Revolution 233
A concluding note on Théroigne de Méricourt: From swarm to swarm 239

6. A Concluding Passage 260

7. Appendix: St Paul, Gabriel Naudé, Antonin Artaud:
Three violent and delicate exceptions to law and liturgy 275
Paul: 1 Corinthian. 7:29-32 276
Gabriel Naudé: Excerpts from Considerations politiques sur les coups d’Etat, cited in Michel Foucault’s Security, Territory, Population 280
Antonin Artaud: Theatre and the Plague 283
A brief excursus in conclusion on Plato, Patocka and the training of guardians 285

Bibliography 291

Index 299