Is equality declared or programmatic? Discover Rancière's revolutionary idea!

Rancière introduces the revolutionary idea that equality is declared rather than programmatic, a concept that distinguishes his thought and has significantly impacted contemporary political philosophy. This means that equality is not a goal to be achieved through a predetermined program but an axiom to be posited and enacted in specific situations. Badiou acknowledges his agreement with this thesis, stating, "It was he who first introduced into the contemporary conceptual field the idea that equality is declared rather than programmatic. This was a fundamental reversal, and I announced my absolute agreement with this thesis very early on."

For Rancière, the declaration of equality is an event that disrupts the existing order and creates the possibility of a new political subject. It is a performative act that challenges the established hierarchies and distributions of power. This contrasts with programmatic approaches to equality, which often rely on experts or institutions to define and implement strategies for achieving equality. Rancière's perspective emphasizes the capacity of ordinary people to recognize and enact equality in their own lives.

Badiou, while agreeing on the declared dimension of equality, offers a different hermeneutics. He sees equality as "the invariant axiom of all real sequences of the politics of emancipation," (p. 18) suggesting that it is a principle that is reaffirmed each time an event opens a new sequence of emancipatory politics. He views declared equality as "the maxim of an aristocratic politics that is grappling with a specific or singular form of inequality," (p. 18) where a contingent aristocracy actively embodies the maxim in a singular sequence.

Rancière's emphasis on declared equality shifts the focus from the pursuit of equality as an end to the organization of the consequences of an egalitarian declaration. This perspective highlights the importance of recognizing and supporting the initiatives and actions that emerge from the affirmation of equality in specific contexts.