Skip to main content

Prefiguration

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Critical Terms in Futures Studies
  • 1017 Accesses

Abstract

In the field of critical theory and social movement studies, the term “prefiguration” or “prefigurative politics” is increasingly often used to understand why and how activists seek to already realize their ideal of a future society within their own practices or forms of organization. But what exact idea of futurity is implied in this concept of prefiguration? This chapter explores four possible ways to imagine how the future is prefigured in present political practices.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Anderson, Benedict. 2006. Imagined communities: Reflections on the origin and spread of nationalism. London: Verso.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arendt, Hannah. 1958. The human condition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2005. Introduction into politics. In The promise of politics, ed. Jerome Kohn, 93–200. New York: Schocken Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Auerbach, Erich. 1984. Figura. In Scenes from the drama of European literature, ed. Erich Auerbach, 11–64. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Badiou, Alain. 2006. Being and event. Trans. Oliver Feltham. London: Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benjamin, Walter. 1968. Theses on the philosophy of history. Illuminations, ed. Hannah Arendt and Trans. Harry Zohn, 253–264. New York: Schocken Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boggs, Carl. 1977. Marxism, prefigurative communism, and the problem of workers’ control. Radical America 11: 99–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Franks, Benjamin. 2003. The direct action ethic from 59 upwards. Anarchist Studies 11: 13–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, Uri. 2018. Prefigurative politics between ethical practice and absent promise. Political Studies 66 (2): 521–537.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Graeber, David. 2013. The democracy project: A history, a crisis, a movement. London: Allen Lane.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holloway, John. 2010. Crack capitalism. London: Pluto Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein, Ezra. 2011. You’re creating a vision of the sort of society you want to have in miniature. The Washington Post, October 3. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/post/youre-creating-a-vision-ofthe-sort-of-society-you-want-to-have-inminiature/2011/08/25/gIQAXVg7HL_blog.html. Accessed 4 Apr 2018.

  • Maeckelbergh, Marianne. 2009. The will of the many: How the alterglobalisation movement is changing the face of democracy. London: Pluto Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • ———. 2011. Doing is believing: Prefiguration as strategic practice in the alterglobalisation movement. Social Movement Studies 10: 1–20.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mouffe, Chantal. 2013. Agonistics: Thinking the world politically. London: Verso.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rocker, Rudolf. 2004. Anarcho-syndicalism: Theory and practice. Oakland/Edinburgh: AK Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, Michael, and Lucien van der Walt. 2009. Black flame: The revolutionary class politics of anarchism and syndicalism. Oakland/Edinburgh: AK Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, A.G., Tasos Sagris, and Void Network, eds. 2010. We are an image from the future: The Greek revolt of December 2008. Oakland/Edinburgh: AK Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swain, Dan. 2019. Not not but not yet: Present and future in prefigurative politics. Political Studies 67 (1): 47–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van de Sande, Mathijs. 2013. The prefigurative politics of Tahrir Square – An alternative perspective on the 2011 revolutions. Res Publica 19: 223–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yates, Luke. 2015. Rethinking prefiguration: Alternatives, micropolitics, and goals in social movements. Social Movement Studies 14: 1–21.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mathijs van de Sande .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

van de Sande, M. (2019). Prefiguration. In: Paul, H. (eds) Critical Terms in Futures Studies. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28987-4_36

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics