Developments on Laclau and Mouffe’s Discourse Theory: populism, anti-populism and new research agendas
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2176-8099.pcso.2025.241287Keywords:
Discourse Theory, Populism, Antipopulism, Populist hype, MediaAbstract
This paper aims to showcase the recent developments of Discourse Theory (DT), originally developed by Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe, emphasizing its conceptual re-evaluations and empirical applications. The aim is to discuss how DT has evolved over time and to examine how it has been operationalized in empirical research. To this end, a non-exhaustive review of the literature within this theoretical framework is conducted, bringing new perspectives on the analysis of the circulation of meaning – particularly regarding the signifier “populism”. Through Lacanian psychoanalysis, it is possible to incorporate the affective and libidinal dimensions into the analysis in a more grounded way, resorting to the concepts of desire, fantasy and object a. Likewise, categories such as populist hype and anti-populism help to elucidate the dispute over the meaning of populism and the logic under which it operates in political debate.
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