21st-century communist theorists

According to the political theorist Alan Johnson there has been a revival of serious interest in communism in the 21st century led by Slavoj Zizek and Alain Badiou. Other leading theorists are Michael Hardt, Toni Negri, Gianni Vattimo, Alessandro Russo, and Judith Balso. Also Alberto Toscano, translator of Alain Badiou, Terry Eagleton, Bruno Bosteels and Peter Hallward. Many of these advocates contributed to the three-day conference, “The Idea of Communism,” in London in 2009 that drew a substantial paying audience. Theoretical publications, some published by Verso Books, include The Idea of Communism, edited by Costas Douzinas and Zizek, Badiou’s The Communist Hypothesis, and Bosteels’s The Actuality of Communism. The defining common ground is the contention that 'the crises of contemporary liberal capitalist societies—ecological degradation, financial turmoil, the loss of trust in the political class, exploding inequality—are systemic; interlinked, not amenable to legislative reform, and requiring “revolutionary” solutions.'

Slavoj Zizek
See Also: Slavoj Zizek

Alain Badiou
See Also: Alain Badiou

Michael Hardt
See Also: Michael Hardt

Toni Negri
See Also: Toni Negri

Gianni Vattimo
See Also: Gianni Vattimo

Alberto Toscano
See Also: Alberto Toscano

Terry Eagleton
See Also: Terry Eagleton

Bruno Bosteels
See Also: Bruno Bosteels

Peter Hallward
See Also: Peter Hallward

David Harvey
See Also: David Harvey

External links and further reading

 * Costas Douzinas, editor and contributor; Slavoj Zizek, editor; Alain Badiou, contributor; Judith Balso, contributor; Bruno Bosteels, contributor; Susan Buck-Morss, contributor; Terry Eagleton, contributor; Peter Hallward, contributor; Michael Hardt, contributor; Jean-Luc Nancy, contributor; Antonio Negri, contributor; Jacques Rancière, contributor; Mark Russo, contributor; Alberto Toscano, contributor; Gianni Vattimo, contributor; The Idea of Communism (Vol. 1), Verso (December 13, 2010), hardcover, 224 pages, ISBN 184467455X ISBN 978-1844674558; trade paperback, Verso (December 13, 2010), ISBN 1844674592 ISBN 978-1844674596
 * book review by Mark Harvey, February 2011 in Socialist Review
 * Alain Badiou, The Communist Hypothesis, Verso (July 13, 2010), hardcover, 288 pages, ISBN 1844676005 ISBN 978-1844676002
 * Bruno Bosteels, The Actuality of Communism, Verso (June 1, 2011), hardcover, 256 pages, ISBN 1844676951 ISBN 978-1844676958
 * Communism, A New Beginning? October 14–16, 2011
 * "Full Communism" blog post at versobooks.com by Huw Lemmey May 3, 2012