Theoretical manifesto by one of Latin America's leading political philosophers, interpreting the new wave of radicalism in Latin American politics

First published in Spanish in 2006, Twenty Theses on Politics is a major statement on political philosophy from Enrique Dussel, one of Latin America’s—and the world’s—most important philosophers, and a founder of the philosophy of liberation. Synthesizing a half-century of his pioneering work in moral and political philosophy, Dussel presents a succinct rationale for the development of political alternatives to the exclusionary, exploitative institutions of neoliberal globalization. In twenty short, provocative theses he lays out the foundational elements for a politics of just and sustainable coexistence. Dussel first constructs a theory of political power and its institutionalization, taking on topics such as the purpose of politics and the fetishization of power. He insists that political projects must criticize or reject as unsustainable all political systems, actions, and institutions whose negative effects are suffered by oppressed or excluded victims. Turning to the deconstruction or transformation of political power, he explains the political principles of liberation and addresses matters such as reform and revolution.

Twenty Theses on Politics is inspired by recent political transformations in Latin America. As Dussel writes in Thesis 15, regarding the liberation praxis of social and political movements, “The winds that arrive from the South—from Nestor Kirchner, Tabaré Vásquez, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Evo Morales, Hugo Chávez, Fidel Castro, and so many others—show us that things can be changed. The people must reclaim sovereignty!” Throughout the twenty theses Dussel engages with Latin American thinkers and activists and with radical political projects such as the World Social Forum. He is also in dialogue with the ideas of Marx, Hegel, Habermas, Rawls, and Negri, offering insights into the applications and limits of their thinking in light of recent Latin American political thought and practice.

"“Dussel has convincingly brought a radical and ethically responsible understanding of ‘the political’ back to bear in political theory. This is a philosophy and politics of liberation grounded in a robust acknowledgment and understanding of ethics as first philosophy.”" - Radical Philosophy Review

"“Dussel is . . . probably the most important Marxian scholar of our era. . . . Twenty Theses on Politics reveals that, if anything and against the odds, politics as it is now being understood in Latin America has become the art of the possible. It is a short book, but may take a long time reading, mainly because of the depth of knowledge, insight and experience that Dussel has brought to bear in compiling it. In the language of the WSF itself, it represents a manifesto for a plural, diverse, non-governmental and non-partisan politics seeking a more solidary, democratic and fair world. It is perhaps the most important statement for many years of the degree to which de-colonial theory—and Latin America itself—is now providing a real source of intellectual leadership in debates that have floundered in the post-industrial world.”" - Latin American Review of Books

"“From his early work in ethics and the philosophy of liberation to his examination of the epochal events of 1492 in the Americas, Dussel has been a leading Latin American voice in the critical study of modernity. With Twenty Theses on Politics, he now embarks on what could well be his magnum opus. . . . [T]his book is relevant for us today because it defends the idea that an alternative to the status quo is indeed possible.”" - Perspectives on Politics

"“From the pen of perhaps Latin America’s foremost philosopher of liberation comes this brilliant condensation by Enrique Dussel of his political philosophy. . . . [A] deft, disciplined intervention into English publication for philosophers and religious scholars. With bracing spirit and conceptual rigor, Dussel engage the global North from the struggle of the South. . .”" - Journal of Religion

"These 20 succinct theses take on the purpose of politics and the fetishization of power, the liberation praxis of movements, reform and revolution—while engaging with political projects like the World Social Forum, ultimately developing a moral and political foundation contrary to that of neoliberal globalization.” - NACLA Report on the Americas