Jacques Ranciere: the history of literature, and politics

This article is an attempt at presenting Jacques Ranciere's literary theory. French philosopher proves that an aesthetic dimension is inherent to politics and that the arts have a political dimension: their forms propose new paradigms of the community. Both literature and politics propose new ways of articulating reality. His theory concerns especially the so called "esthetic regime of art" which breaks down various hierarchies of other regimes ("ethical" and "representational"). Such an artistic egalitarianism is analogous to the breaking down of real social and political hierarchies. The history of literature has to define in each case this correspondence between literary forms and forms of political action.