Alain Badiou's Defense of the Intermission and Critique of the Present

Alain Badiou's two recent publications, "Éloge du théâtre" (Café Voltaire/Flammarion) and "Pornographie du temps présent" (Fayard), alongside his participation in France Culture, offer a philosophical critique of democracy and the present moment. In "Éloge du théâtre," Badiou defends the intermission as a moment when the audience becomes an active participant, reclaiming freedom. He aligns with Kant's "What is Enlightenment?" to define the present as "intervallic," a state where the state covers passive desire for comfort. "Pornographie du temps présent" critiques democracy through Jean Genet's "The Balcony," where a brothel becomes a stage for revolutionary farce. Badiou argues that since Kant, producing a real image of the present has been hindered by the loss of the present itself. He questions whether one can escape images, referencing Genet's ending where the revolutionary leader Roger identifies with the police chief, symbolizing the circularity of history. Badiou contrasts Kant's optimism with Genet's bitterness, noting that while history doesn't stop, it can repeat. He concludes that only a theater without quotation marks but with intermissions can suspend belonging and redistribute roles. A phrase from Henrik Ibsen, "The old beauty is no longer beautiful and the new truth is not yet true," encapsulates the chance for history. Additionally, Nous éditeur reissues Pier Paolo Pasolini's screenplay "Saint Paul" with a new preface by Badiou.