How to enjoy democracy again (and again)

Abstract

Chapter 6 argues that the oscillation between captivation and boredom in the distracted dwelling in forms of life is not merely a possible but also an enjoyable and pleasant experience. Drawing on Jean-Luc Nancy’s account of pleasure as the experience of one’s formative force in every act of formation, Prozorov argues that the biopolitical conversion of democracy that affirms the experimental, freeform life renders democracy more viable by adding to its normative legitimacy an affective dimension of enjoyment. Democracy is not merely ‘right’ from any given normative perspective but also feels good, since it ensures the possibility of freely forming and transforming our lives without being held captive in any privileged form. Thus, democracy is not merely sustainable in a biopolitical mode but is in fact reinvigorated by its translation into concrete forms of life.