Symbolization of a Person in Political Action Figures: Communist – Revolutionary – Militant

Abstract

The dominance of neoliberalism provokes an ontological crisis, which manifests itself in the absence of an active figure capable of demonstrating a human behavior pattern different from the one of homo oeconomicus. Going beyond the purely economic approach opens up a new symbolic image of Man, which is represented in modern philosophy by such figures as the Frontline Soldier, the Worker (Ernst Jünger, Alen de Benoist), the Warrior, and the Soldier (Alain Badiou), the Patriot and the Militant (Michael Hardt, Antonio Negri). The Militant takes a special place among them being a political figure presenting a new understanding of the political struggle. The objective of this study is to present the Militant as a figure symbolizing resistance and/or struggle against global capital and its consequences. The article shows that the historical predecessors of the Militant are the figures of the Communist (Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels) and the professional Revolutionary (Vladimir Lenin). Communist ‒ Revolutionary ‒ Militant are seen as figures symbolizing the turn in the political struggle. The Communist in Marx and Engels’ doctrine is a figure through which they assert the need for a turn to the idea of communism, whereas in Lenin’s works the professional Revolutionary symbolizes a turn to the organized and conscious class struggle. The peculiarity of the Militant as a figure is that it indicates the transition from the political struggle against capital and capitalist exploitation (in the understanding of Marxism-Leninism) to the struggle for life. Two ways of representing the modern struggle are considered: resistance to the destructive force of globalization and the struggle of individuals for the right to life.

Keywords

• globalization
• neoliberalism
• “the last man”
• homo oeconomicus
• communist
• revolutionary
• militant