Prefigurative politics is a concept that has been gaining traction in recent years as a way to envision and create a more just and sustainable future. It is a form of political action that seeks to embody the values and principles of the society that activists are advocating for. Rather than waiting for societal structures to change on their own, prefigurative politics aims to create the change in the present moment through the way people interact and organize within their communities.
She argues that prefigurative politics has a processual temporality, where change happens in the present, but develops slowly. Along with this idea, there is a recognition that the process of building a better future is not linear and requires ongoing reflection and adaptation. This approach challenges the notion that change can only happen through traditional political channels and opens up new possibilities for grassroots activism and social movement building.
The department of Philosophy at Marquette invites all to the 85th Aquinas Lecture, with José Medina, Walter Dill Scott Professor, who will be discussing the intersections of prefigurative politics and ethical theory. This lecture will delve into the philosophical underpinnings of prefigurative politics and explore how it can inform our understanding of justice and social change.
Nonviolent Revolutionary Ecocultural Prefigurative Direct Action, while quite a mouthful, means to propose a route out of what's broken in our current political and social systems. By embodying the values of a more just and sustainable society in our actions today, we can begin to create the world we want to see tomorrow.
A peer learning experiment offers some valuable lessons on how to balance the imperatives of organizational efficiency and democratic decision-making within prefigurative politics. By creating spaces for dialogue and collaboration, activists can work together to build consensus and create lasting change.
Few people would disagree with an aspirational goal of a truly caring society—but what is a truly caring society? And what is the role of prefigurative politics in creating such a society? By prioritizing empathy, compassion, and solidarity in our interactions, we can begin to build the foundations of a more caring and equitable world.
Prefiguration, Emergence, Divergence. With the return of certain Cold War dynamics, the social imaginary is undergoing a renewed reduction. This reduction highlights the need for new forms of political organizing that can challenge the status quo and pave the way for a more just and sustainable future.
It further explores how they developed and enacted a transversal and prefigurative approach to art, addressing the challenges of an era marked by political polarization and social unrest. By creating spaces for experimentation and collaboration, artists can push the boundaries of what is possible and inspire others to imagine new ways of being in the world.
Sofa Saio Gradin teaches Politics and International Relations at King's College London, UK, and is the co-author of Prefigurative Politics: Theory and Practice. In her work, she explores the intersections of prefigurative politics and global governance, offering insights into how grassroots movements can influence international policy and decision-making.
The idea of prefigurativism is to understand and practise the behaviours and relationships we want to see as mainstream in the future; to embody the values of a more just and sustainable society in our actions today. Through prefigurative politics, we can begin to build a better future for all.
