Assembly
by M. Hardt
First published 2017 · 346 pages · about 6 hours to read
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About this book
Assembly is a work of political theory by Michael Hardt, published in 2017, that examines the assembly as a form of collective organization and political power. It is usually read as a late part of Hardt's writing with Antonio Negri on empire, multitude and the commons. Readers come to it for its account of how people organize themselves outside existing institutions.
The book asks how groups of people come together to make decisions, act and create common forms of life, and what that kind of collective power looks like in contemporary politics.
Summary written with AI from the book's details.
Will you like it?
Readers interested in political theory and in how collective movements organize will find Assembly useful. It suits those who already know the Empire trilogy or who follow debates on democracy, protest and the commons.
- collective power
- the multitude
- horizontal organization
- democracy
Written with AI.
Books like Assembly
Empire
Antonio Negriabout 8 hours to read
The first volume of the trilogy that Assembly extends, treating global power and the multitude as its central concepts.
Commonwealth
Antonio Negriabout 7 hours to read
The final volume of the trilogy, which develops the idea of the common as a basis for collective political life.
Rebel Cities
David Harveyabout 3 hours to read
A study of how urban movements claim the right to the city, with attention to collective organizing from the bottom up.
Dissensus
Jacques Rancièreabout 4 hours to read
Essays on politics as disagreement and the sudden appearance of those who have no recognized place in public life.
More
Hatred of Democracy
Jacques Rancièreabout 2 hours to read
A short argument that democracy is an active practice of equality rather than a system of government, which bears on the assembly idea.
The Communist Hypothesis
Alain Badiouabout 5 hours to read
A reconsideration of collective emancipatory politics after the failure of state socialism, asking what organized equality can look like now.
For a Left Populism
Chantal Mouffeabout 2 hours to read
An argument for building collective political identities and hegemony through democratic mobilization, a question close to Hardt's concern with organizing.
Hope in the Dark
Rebecca Solnitabout 3 hours to read
Essays on social movements and the ways people act together for change when outcomes are uncertain.
Quick answers
- What age is Assembly for?
- Adults.
- Does Assembly have violence, sex or strong language?
- Nothing a reader needs warning about.
Written with AI from what's known about the book.
Reader's guide
Themescollective power, the multitude, democracy, horizontal organization, the commons, representation
collective power · the multitude · democracy · horizontal organization · the commons · representation
StyleAcademic prose in the manner of political philosophy, with dense argument, technical vocabulary and frequent reference to other thinkers. Chapters are built around concepts and the relations between them rather than a narrative line. It is a short-to-medium length book of about 346 pages.
Academic prose in the manner of political philosophy, with dense argument, technical vocabulary and frequent reference to other thinkers. Chapters are built around concepts and the relations between them rather than a narrative line. It is a short-to-medium length book of about 346 pages.
How it was writtenMichael Hardt is an American literary and political theorist who co-wrote the Empire trilogy with Antonio Negri: Empire (2000), Multitude (2004) and Commonwealth (2009). Assembly was published in 2017 and extends their interest in networked, collective political forms into a book of its own.
Michael Hardt is an American literary and political theorist who co-wrote the Empire trilogy with Antonio Negri: Empire (2000), Multitude (2004) and Commonwealth (2009). Assembly was published in 2017 and extends their interest in networked, collective political forms into a book of its own.
How it was receivedAssembly is discussed mainly in political theory and among readers interested in the Occupy movement and related assemblies. Its reception is shaped by debate over whether assemblies can move from protest to lasting institutions. Readers should check current academic reviews for a fuller picture.
Assembly is discussed mainly in political theory and among readers interested in the Occupy movement and related assemblies. Its reception is shaped by debate over whether assemblies can move from protest to lasting institutions. Readers should check current academic reviews for a fuller picture.
Questions to discussWhat does the book mean by an assembly, and how is it different from a parliament or a protest?
These may talk about the whole book.
- What does the book mean by an assembly, and how is it different from a parliament or a protest?
- Can assemblies make decisions over time, or do they tend to dissolve after a moment of mobilization?
- How does the idea of the multitude change the way we think about the people in democratic theory?
- What are the strongest objections to horizontal, non-representative organizing?
- How might assemblies relate to existing state institutions without being absorbed by them?
- What examples from recent movements would best test the book's claims?
Written with AI from what's known about the book.
More by M. Hardt
- DeclarationDeclaration2012
- The Procedures Of LoveThe Procedures Of Love2012
- CommonwealthCommonwealth2009
- Empire and BeyondEmpire and Beyond2009
- MultitudeMultitude2004
- EmpireEmpire2000
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