IN PRAISE !" LOVEALAIN BADIOUvilh NicoIas TruongTrans|aic! |q Pcicr BusnA cnmp!ctc cata!nguc rccnrd Inr this bnnk can bc nbtaincd Irnm thc British Library nn rcqucstThc right nI A!ain Badinu and Nicn!as Trunng tn bc idcntiIicd as thc authnrs nI this wnrk has bccn asscrtcd by thcm in accnrdancc with thc Cnpyright, Dcsigns and Patcnts Act 1988Cnpyright 2 0 0 9 F!ammarinn 5A, Paris Trans!atinn cnpyright 2 0 1 2 Pctcr BushA!! rights rcscrvcd. Nn part nI this bnnk may bc rcprnduccd, stnrcd in a rctricva! systcm nr transmittcd in any Inrm nr by any mcans, c!cctrnnic, mcchanica!, phntncnpying, rccnrding nr nthcrwisc, withnut thc prinr pcrmissinn nI thc pub!ishcr.First pub!ishcd as #$!%&'(&'$ )*+!,- in 2 0 0 9 by F!ammarinn 5A, ParisFirst pub!ishcd in 201 2 by 5crpcnt's Tai!, an imprint nI PrnIi!c Bnnks Ltd 3 A Exmnuth Hnusc Pinc 5trcct Lnndnn EC1R0JH www.scrpcntstai!.cnmI5BN 9 7 8 1 8 4 6 6 8 779 2 c!5BN 9 78 1 8 4 7 6 5 658 2Dcsigncd and typcsct by sucm!amb!cdcsign.dcmnn.cn.uk Printcd by Bc!! & Bain Ltd., G!asgnw10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1'As we know, love needs re-inventing.Arlhur Rimbaud A scascn in nc||, Ha||ucinaiicns 1CONTENT5InlroduclionI Love Under ThrealII IhiIosohers and LoveIII The Conslruclion of LoveIV The Trulh of LoveV Love and IoIilicsVI Love and ArlIn ConcIusionINTRODUCTIONA hiIosoher musl never forgel lhe counlIess silualions in Iife vhen he is no differenl from anyone eIse. If he does, lhealricaI lradilion, arlicuIarIy comedy, viII rudeIy remind him of lhal facl. There is, afler aII, a slock slage characler, lhe hiIosoher in Iove, vhose Sloic visdom and veII-rehearsed dislrusl of assion evaorale in lheir enlirely lhe momenl a dazzIingIy beaulifuI voman svees inlo lhe room and bIovs him avay forever.I reaIised lhis a Iong lime ago. I have suggesled lhal a hiIosoher (and lhis neulraI noun naluraIIy encomasses bolh maIe and femaIeALAI N BADI OU 2varielies) musl be an accomIished scienlisl, an amaleur oel and a oIilicaI aclivisl, bul aIso has lo accel lhal lhe reaIm of lhoughl is never seaIed off from lhe vioIenl onsIaughls of Iove. IhiIosohy requires ils raclilioners of eilher gender lo assume lhe roIes of savanl, arlisl, aclivisl and Iover. I have caIIed lhem lhe four ccn!iiicns of hiIosohy.Thal vas vhy I immedialeIy agreed vhen NicoIas Truong inviled me lo |oin him in conver-salion in lhe Thealre of Ideas series he organises al lhe Avignon IeslivaI. Il Iooked as if il vouId be a deIicious cocklaiI of lhealre, crovds, conversa-lion, Iove and hiIosohy. esides, il vas going lo be heId on 14 }uIy (2008) and I vas exciled by lhe idea of ceIebraling Iove, a cosmooIilan, subver-sive, sexuaI energy lhal lransgresses fronliers and sociaI slalus al a lime normaIIy devoled lo lhe Army, lhe Nalion and lhe Slale.Lel's nov bIov our ovn lrumel a IillIe:3IN P RAI 5E OF LOVENicoIas asked lhe queslions, and I erformed lhe ambiguous roIe of a hiIosoher of Iove, ve vorked veII logelher and il vas a success. No doubl aboul il: il vas a hil.The lexl you are aboul lo read is an eIabora-lion of vhal ve said on lhe day. Il relains lhe sonlaneous rhylhm, cIarily and energy bul is more rounded and incisive. I beIieve lhal, from slarl lo finish, il is vhal il says il is: raise of Iove, sung by a hiIosoher vho lhinks, Iike IIalo, vhom I quole: Anyone vho doesn'l lake Iove as a slarling oinl viII never undersland lhe nalure of hiIosohy. So here you have AIain adiou, lhe hiIosoher Iover, lussIing vilh NicoIas Truong, a vise inlerrogalor, a hiIosoher, and, of course, a Iover.LOVE UNDER THREATI|n The Meaning of Sarkozy, a |cck inai nas su|scqucni|q |cccnc jancus, qcu arguc inai uc nusi rc-intcni |ctc |ui a|sc quiic sinp|q !cjcn! ii, |ccausc ii jaccs inrcais jrcn a|| si!cs. |n unai uaqs is ii inrcaicnc!? Hcu, in qcur ticu, natc inc arrangc! narriagcs cj qcsicrqcar |ccn rc-packagc! in inc ncu c|cincs cj ic!aq? | |c|ictc inai rcccni pu||iciiq jcr a !aiing uc|siic nas pariicu|ar|q siruck qcu...Thal's righl, Iaris is Iaslered vilh oslers for lhe Meelic inlernel daling-sile, vhose ads I find reaIIy dislurbing. I couId menlion a number of6ALAI N BADI OUsIogans ils hye uses. The firsl misaroriales lhe lilIe of Marivaux's Iay, Tnc Ganc cj Ictc an! Cnancc, Gel Iove vilhoul chance! And lhen anolher says: e in Iove vilhoul faIIing in Iove! No ralures, righl` Then: Gel erfecl Iove vilhoul suffering! And aII lhanks lo lhe Meelic daling-sile... lhal offers inlo lhe bargain - and lhe nolion lakes my brealh avay - coaching in Iove. So lhey suIy you vilh a lrainer vho viII reare you lo face lhe lesl.I beIieve lhis hye refIecls a safely-firsl concel of Iove. Il is Iove comrehensiveIy insured againsl aII risks: you viII have Iove, bul viII have assessed lhe roseclive reIalionshi so lhoroughIy, viII have seIecled your arlner so carefuIIy by searching onIine - by oblaining, of course, a holo, delaiIs of his or her lasles, dale of birlh, horoscoe sign, elc. - and ulling il aII in lhe mix you can leII yourseIf: This is a risk-free olion! Thal's lheir ilch and il's7IN P RAI 5 E OF LOVEfascinaling lhal lhe ad camaign shouId adol il. CIearIy, inasmuch as Iove is a Ieasure aImosl everyone is Iooking for, lhe lhing lhal gives meaning and inlensily lo aImosl everyone's Iife, I am convinced lhal Iove cannol be a gifl given on lhe basis of a comIele Iack of risk. The Meelic aroach reminds me of lhe roaganda of lhe American army vhen romoling lhe idea of smarl bombs and zero dead vars.Sc !c qcu inink incrc is a ccnncciicn |ciuccn zcrc !ca! uars an! zcrc risk |ctc, in inc sanc uaq inai sccic|cgisis, |icnar! Scnncii an! Zqgnuni Baunan, scc an ana|cgq |ciuccn inc Nc ccnniincni ic qcu inai jinancc capiia|isn ic||s inc casua| ucrkcr ic inc Nc ccnniincni jcr nq pari inc |ctcr ic||s nis cr ncr parincr as incq j|cai in a ucr|! uncrc rc|aiicnsnips arc na!c an! unna!c in inc nanc cj a ccsq, ccnsuncrisi pcrnissitcncss?8ALAI N BADI OUIl's aII ralher lhe same scenario. Zero dealhs var, zero risks Iove, nolhing random, no chance encounlers. acked as il is, vilh aII lhe resources of a vide-scaIe adverlising camaign, I see il as lhe firsl lhreal lo Iove, vhal I vouId caII lhe safely lhreal. Afler aII, il's nol so very differenl lo an arranged marriage. Nol done in lhe name of famiIy order and hierarchy by desolic arenls, bul in lhe name of safely for lhe individuaIs invoIved, lhrough advance agree-menls lhal avoid randomness, chance encoun-lers and in lhe end any exislenliaI oelry, due lo lhe calegoricaI absence of risks.The second lhreal Iove faces is lo deny lhal il is al aII imorlanl. The counleroinl lo lhe safely lhreal is lhe idea lhal Iove is onIy a varianl of ramanl hedonism and lhe vide range of ossibIe en|oymenl. The aim is lo avoid any immediale chaIIenge, any dee and genuine exerience of lhe olherness from vhich Iove is voven. Hovever,IN PRAI 5E OF LOVEve shouId add lhal as lhe risk faclor can never be comIeleIy eIiminaled, Meelic's ubIicily, Iike lhe roaganda for imeriaI armies, says lhal lhe risks viII be everyone eIse's! If you have been veII lrained for Iove, foIIoving lhe canons of modern safely, you von'l find il difficuIl lo disalch lhe olher erson if lhey do nol suil. If he suffers, lhal's his robIem, righl` He's nol arl of modernily. In lhe same vay lhal zero dealhs aIy onIy lo lhe Weslern miIilary. The bombs lhey dro kiII a Iol of eoIe vho are lo bIame for Iiving under-nealh. ul lhese casuaIlies are Afghans, IaIes-linians... They don'l beIong lo modernily eilher. Safely-firsl Iove, Iike everylhing governed by lhe norm of safely, imIies lhe absence of risks for eoIe vho have a good insurance oIicy, a good army, a good oIice force, a good sychoIogicaI lake on ersonaI hedonism, and aII risks for lhose on lhe oosile side.You musl have noliced hov ve are aIvays10AL AI N BADI OUbeing loId lhal lhings are being deaIl vilh for your comforl and safely, from olhoIes in avemenls lo oIice alroIs in lhe melro. Love confronls lvo enemies, essenliaIIy: safely guar-anleed by an insurance oIicy and lhe comforl zone Iimiled by reguIaled Ieasures.Sc incrc is a kin! cj paci |ciuccn |i|criarian an! |i|cra| i!cas cn |ctc?In effecl I lhink lhal IiberaIs and Iiberlarians converge around lhe idea lhal Iove is a fuliIe risk. And lhal, on lhe one hand, you can have a kind of veII-Ianned marriage ursued vilh aII lhe deIighls of consummalion and, on lhe olher, fun sexuaI arrangemenls fuII of Ieasure, if you disregard assion. Seen from lhis ersec-live, I reaIIy do lhink lhal Iove, in loday's vorId, is caughl in lhis bind, in lhis vicious circIe and is consequenlIy under lhreal. I lhink il is lhe laskIN P RAI 5E OF LOVE '?&2(&%%&-9 Paynt & Rivagcs, 2003.A L A I N B AD I O Ua decIaralion and fideIily can lransform lhal inlo a crealive exislence. Nolhing of lhe sorl can haen in oIilics in lerms of lhe basic conlra-diclions, lhe ushol being lhal in effecl lhere are cIearIy designaled enemies. A cenlraI issue in oIilicaI lhoughl is lhe queslion of enemies and il is very difficuIl lo deaI vilh loday, in arl because of lhe democralic framevork vilhin vhich ve oerale. The issue is: do enemies exisl` I mean by lhal, reaI enemies. A reaI enemy is nol someone you are resigned lo see lake over eriodicaIIy because Iols of eoIe voled for him. Thal is a erson you are annoyed lo see as head of Slale because you vouId have referred his adversary. And you viII vail your lurn, for five or len years or more. An enemy is somelhing eIse: an individuaI you von'l loIerale laking decisions on anylhing lhal imacls on yourseIf. So do reaI enemies exisl or nol` Thal shouId be our slarling-oinl.I N P R A I 5 E OF LOVEIl is an exlremeIy imorlanl issue in oIilics and one ve are loo quick lo ush lo one side. The issue of lhe enemy is comIeleIy foreign lo lhe queslion of Iove. In Iove, you can find hurdIes, be haunled by immanenl dramas, bul lhere are in facl, no enemies. One mighl ob|ecl: vhal aboul my rivaI` The erson my Iover refers lo me` WeII, lhal is an enlireIy lolaIIy differenl maller. In oIilics, lhe slruggIe againsl lhe enemy consli-lules lhe aclion. The enemy forms arl of lhe essence f oIilics. Genuine oIilics idenlifies ils reaI enemy. Hovever, lhe rivaI remains absoIuleIy exlernaI, he isn'l arl of lhe definilion of Iove., On lhis oinl I disagree rofoundIy vilh aII lhose vho lhink lhal |eaIousy is a consliluenl eIemenl of Iove. The mosl briIIianl reresenlalive of lhe Ialler is Irousl, for vhom |eaIousy is lhe reaI, inlense, demonic conlenl of amorous sub|ec-livily. In my oinion, lhis is simIy a varianl of lhe lhesis of lhe scelicaI moraIisls. }eaIousy isALAI N BADI OU 60a fake arasile lhal feeds on Iove and doesn'l al aII heI lo define il. Musl every Iove idenlify an exlernaI rivaI before il can decIare ilseIf, before il can begin` No vay! The reverse is lhe case: lhe immanenl difficuIlies of Iove, lhe inlerfiaI conlradiclions of lhe Tvo scene can cryslaI-Iize around a lhird arly, a rivaI, imagined or reaI. The difficuIlies Iove harbours don'l slem from lhe exislence of an enemy vho has been idenlified. They are inlernaI lo lhe rocess: lhe crealive Iay of difference. SeIfishness, nol any rivaI, is Iove's enemy. One couId say: my Iove's main enemy, lhe one I musl defeal, is nol lhe olher, il is myseIf, lhe myseIf lhal refers idenlily lo difference, lhal refers lo imose ils vorId againsl lhe vorId re-conslrucled lhrough lhe fiIler of difference.Ictc can a|sc |c uar..61I N P R A I 5 E OF LOVEWe musl bear in mind lhal, Iike many rocesses for finding lhe lrulh, lhe rocess of Iove isn'l aIvays eacefuI. Il can bring vioIenl argumenl, genuine anguish and searalions ve may or may nol overcome. We shouId recognize lhal il is one of lhe mosl ainfuI exeriences in lhe sub|eclive Iife of an individuaI! Thal is vhy some eoIe romole lheir comrehensive insurance roa-ganda. I have aIready menlioned lhal eoIe die because of Iove. There are murders and suicides romled by Iove. In facl, al ils ovn IeveI, Iove is nol necessariIy any more eacefuI lhan revoIu-lionary oIilics. A lrulh is nol somelhing lhal is conslrucled in a garden of roses. Never! Love has ils ovn agenda of conlradiclions and vioIence. ul lhe difference is lhal in oIilics ve reaIIy have lo engage vilh our enemies, vhereas in Iove il is aII aboul dramas, immanenl, inlernaI dramas lhal don'l reaIIy define any enemies, lhough lhey do somelimes Iace lhe drive for idenlily62A L A I N B A D I O Uinlo confIicl vilh difference. Dramas in Iove are lhe sharesl exerience of lhe confIicl belveen idenlily and difference.|tcn sc, isni ii ai a|| pcssi||c ic |ring |ctc an! pc|iiics icgcincr uiincui !csccn!ing inic inc ncra|izing cj a pc|iiics cj |ctc?There are lvo oIilicaI, or hiIosohicaI-oIil- icaI nolions one can comare al a ureIy formaI IeveI lo lhe diaIeclics resenl vilhin Iove. IirslIy, lhe vord communism encomasses lhis idea lhal lhe coIIeclivily is caabIe of inlegraling aII exlraoIilicaI differences. IeoIe shouIdn'l be revenled from arlicialing in a oIilicaI rocess of a communisl lye simIy because lhey are lhis or lhal, or vere born here or come from eIsevhere, or seak such and such a Ianguage, or vere fashioned by such and such a cuIlure, in lhe same vay lhal idenlilies in lhemseIves aren'lI N P RAI 5 E OF LOVE flhurdIes lo lhe crealion of Iove. OnIy oIilicaI difference vilh lhe enemy is irreconciIabIe as Marx said. And lhal has no equivaIenl in lhe rocess of Iove. And lhen lhere is lhe vord fralernily. Iralernily is lhe mosl oaque of lhe lhree lerms in lhe ReubIican mollo. We can argue aboul freedom, bul ve knov vhal lhal's aboul. We can rovide a fairIy accurale definilion of vhal equaIily invoIves. ul vhal on earlh is fralernily` No doubl il is reIaled lo lhe issue of differences, of lheir friendIy co-resence vilhin lhe oIilicaI rocess, lhe essenliaI boundary being lhe confronlalion vilh lhe enemy. And lhal is a nolion lhal can be covered by inlernalionaIism, because, if lhe coIIeclive can reaIIy lake equaIily on board, lhal means il can aIso inlegrale lhe mosl exlensive divergences and grealIy Iimil lhe over of idenlily.A L A I N B A D I O UAi inc |cginning cj cur !ia|cguc, qcu spckc cj Cnrisiianiiq as a rc|igicn cj |ctc. Icis ncu jccus cn inc ataiars cj |ctc uiinin inc grcai i!cc|cgics. |n qcur ticu, ncu !i! Cnrisiianiiq nanagc ic capiurc inc cxiracr!inarq pcucr inai |ctc nas?In lhis resecl, I lhink lhal }udaism quile reared lhe vay for Chrislianily. The resence of Iove in lhe OId Teslamenl is significanl, bolh in lerms of rescrilions and descrilions. Whalever ils lheoIogicaI imorl, lhe song of Iove lhal is The Song of Songs is one of lhe mosl overfuI ceIe-bralions of Iove ever vrillen. Chrislianily ilseIf is lhe finesl examIe of lhe use of Iove's inlensily lovards a lranscendenlaI concelion of lhe universaI. Chrislianily says: if you Iove each olher, lhe vhoIe of lhis Ioving communily viII aroach lhe uIlimale founl of aII Iove lhal is divine lranscendence ilseIf. Il inlroduces lhe idea lhal lhe accelance of lhe exerience of Iove, of65I N P R A I 5 E OF LOVElhe exerience of lhe olher, of lhe gaze raised lovards lhe olher, conlribules lo lhis sureme Iove lhal is bolh lhe Iove ve ove lo God and lhe Iove lhal God brings lo us. And, of course, lhal is a slroke of genius! Chrislianily has managed lo calure on behaIf of ils Church - ils avalar of lhe slale - lhis over lhal has enabIed il, for examIe, lo achieve lhe accelance of suffering in lhe name of lhe sureme inleresls of lhe communily and nol |usl on behaIf of individuaI survivaI.Chrislianily grased erfeclIy lhal lhere is an eIemenl in lhe aarenl conlingency of Iove lhal can'l be reduced lo lhal conlingency. ul il immedialeIy raised il lo lhe IeveI of lran-scendence, and lhal is lhe rool of lhe robIem. This universaI eIemenl I loo recognize in Iove as immanenl. ul Chrislianily has somehov managed lo eIevale il and refocus il onlo a lran-scendenl over. Il's an ideaI lhal vas aIreadyA L A I N B AD I O UarlIy resenl in IIalo, lhrough lhe idea of lhe Good. Il is a briIIianl firsl maniuIalion of lhe over of Iove and one ve musl nov bring back lo earlh. I mean ve musl demonslrale lhal Iove reaIIy does have universaI over, bul lhal il is simIy lhe oorlunily ve are given lo en|oy a osilive, crealive, affirmalive exerience of difference. The Olher, no doubl, bul vilhoul lhe AImighly-Olher, vilhoul lhe Greal Olher of lranscendence. In lhe finaI anaIysis, reIigions don'l seak of Iove. ecause lhey are onIy inler-esled in il as a source of inlensily, in lhe sub|ec-live slale il aIone can creale, in order lo direcl lhal inlensily lovards failh and lhe Church and encourage lhis sub|eclive slale lo accel lhe sovereignly of God. The main oulcome is lhal Chrislianily subslilules devoul, assive, defer-enliaI Iove for lhe combalive Iove I am raising here, lhal earlhIy crealion of lhe differenlialed birlh of a nev vorId and a hainess von oinl67I N P R A I 5 E OF LOVEby oinl. Love on bended knee is no Iove al aII as far as I am concerned, even if Iove somelimes arouses assion in us lhal makes us yieId lo lhe Ioved one.Ycu natc ucrkc! uiin Anicinc Viicz, ncia||q uncn nc uas prcparing nis jancus prc!uciicn cj Pau| C|au!cVs The Salin SIier. Occs inc nc!iiaiicn cn |ctc |q inc auincr cj The reak of Noon, inai is sc in|uc! uiin Cnrisiianiiq, natc anqining ic saq ic pccp|c ncua!aqs unc arc ncsi|q nc |cngcr Cnrisiian?CIaudeI is a greal dramalisl of Iove. Tnc Saiin S|ippcr and Tnc Brcak cj Nccn are vhoIIy devoled lo lhis lheme. Hovever, vhal is lhere in CIaudeI lhal can inleresl us nov lhal ve are no Ionger direclIy slirred by lhe communion of lhe sainls, revards for good deeds and saIvalion in lhe afler-Iife` I can onIy lhink of lhal senlence al lhe end*| /^PA L A I N B A D I O Uof Tnc Brcak cj Nccn: Iar aarl, lhough never ceasing lo burden each olher, viII ve have lo bear our slrife-ridden souIs` CIaudeI is arlicu-IarIy sensilive lo lhe facl lhal lrue Iove is aIvays overcoming lhe imossibIe: Iar aarl, lhough never ceasing lo burden each olher... SlriclIy seaking, Iove isn'l a ossibiIily, bul ralher lhe overcoming of somelhing lhal mighl aear lo be imossibIe. Somelhing exisls lhal had no reason lo, vhich vas never offered lo you as a ossibiIily. Thal's aIso anolher reason vhy lhe inlernel daling hye is faIIacious. Il vorks on lhe assumlion lhal you are going lo reviev aII lhe ossibiIilies on offer and lake lhe besl, in order lo en|oy safe Iove. ul Iife's nol Iike lhal! Il's nol Iike lhe slories vhere lhe relenders come queueing. Love begins vhen somelhing imossibIe is overcome, and vilh lhe lheme of lhe forbidden voman CIaudeI is a greal oel of lhe imossibIe, Al lhe same lime in CIaudeI, lhe dice are aIvays69I N P R A I 5 E OF LOVEsIighlIy Ioaded, since vhal's imossibIe is reIalive because il is lerreslriaI. I lhink he has lvo Tvo scenes ralher lhan one. The firsl is lhe exeri-ence of Iove's imossibiIily on earlh. The second is vhen Tvo are reconciIed in lhe universe of lhe failh.Il is fascinaling lo foIIov lhrough lhe magnif-icenl oelic mechanisms he uses lo enabIe lhe over of lhe firsl scene lo enrich lhe second. Thal is vhal Chrislianily is aboul. Il romoles ilseIf lhrough lhe earlhIy over of Iove by saying: Yes, cerlain lhings are imossibIe even lhough il's so overfuI, bul nol lo vorry because vhal's imossibIe dovn here isn'l necessariIy so in lhe afler-Iife. Very basic bul very olenl roaganda.Tnis uisn ic |ring |ctc !cun ic carin, ic nctc jrcn iransccn!cncc ic innancncc, uas ccnira| ic nisicrica| ccnnunisn. |n unai uaq nigni inc70A L A I N B A D I O Urcaciitaiing cj inc Ccnnunisi nqpcincsis |c a uaq ic rc-intcni |ctc?I referred earIier lo vhal I lhink of lhese oIilicaI uses of lhe vord Iove, and hov lhey are as misguided as reIigious uses. NeverlheIess, here loo ve are deaIing, quile remarkabIy, vilh a lranscendenl force lhal is grasing lhe over of Iove. Il is nol God any Ionger, bul lhe Iarly, and lhrough lhe Iarly, ils sureme Ieader. The exression lhe cuIl of lhe ersonaIily sums u lhis kind of coIIeclive lransfer of Iove lo a oIilicaI figure. Ioels have |oined in: Iook al IIuard's canlicIes lo SlaIin, Aragon's hymns lo lhe relurn of Maurice Thorez lo Irance afler his iIIness... I find lhe cuIl of lhe Iarly as such even more inleresling. There again, Aragon is symlomalic: My Iarly broughl lhe coIours of Irance back lo me, elc. We immedialeIy see Iove being moduIaled. Whelher vrillen for lhe71I N P R A I 5 E OF LOVEIarly or his Iover, IIsa TrioIel, lhe vords are very simiIar. Il is inslruclive lo see hov lhe arly lhal one mighl have lhoughl vas simIy a lransilory inslrumenl for lhe emancialion of lhe vorking and ouIar cIasses lhus becomes a felish. I don'l vanl lo make fun of any of lhal: il vas an era of oIilicaI assion lhal ve can'l conlinue, lhal ve musl nov viev crilicaIIy, bul il vas inlense and counled ils failhfuI in lheir miIIions. Whal ve musl say, as Iove is our lheme, is lhal Iove and oIilicaI assion shouId never be confused. The robIem oIilics confronls is lhe conlroI of halred, nol of Iove. And halred is a assion lhal aImosl inevilabIy oses lhe queslion of lhe enemy. In olher vords, in oIilics, vhere enemies do exisl, one roIe of lhe organizalion, vhalever lhal may be, is lo conlroI, indeed lo deslroy, lhe consequences of halred. Thal doesn'l mean il musl reach Iove, bul a ma|or inleIIecluaI chaIIenge il faces is lo rovide lhe mosl Iimiled,72A L A I N B A D I O Urecise definilion ossibIe of lhe oIilicaI enemy. And nol, as vas lhe case lhroughoul aImosl lhe vhoIe of lhe Iasl cenlury, lhe vaguesl, mosl far- reaching definilion imaginabIe.Wcu|! ii |c |ciicr ic scparaic |ctc jrcn pc|iiics?A Iarge svalhe of conlemorary lhoughl slrives lo searale vhal has been vrongfuIIy broughl logelher. In lhe same vay lhal lhe definilion of lhe enemy musl be conlroIIed, Iimiled, reduced lo a minimum, Iove, as a singuIar advenlure in lhe quesl for lrulh aboul difference, musl aIso be rigorousIy searaled from oIilics. When I laIk of lhe Communisl hyolhesis, I simIy vanl lo suggesl lhal fulure forms of lhe oIilics of eman-cialion musl be inscribed in a resurreclion, a re-affirmalion, of lhe Communisl idea, lhe idea of a vorId lhal isn'l given over lo lhe avarice of rivale roerly, a vorId of free associalion and73I N P R A I 5 E OF LOVEequaIily. To lhal end, ve can drav on nev hiIo-sohicaI looIs and a good number of IocaIised oIilicaI exeriences, vhere lhere has been inno-valive lhinking. In such a framevork, il viII be easier lo re-invenl Iove lhan if surrounded by cailaIisl frenzy. ecause ve can be sure lhal nolhing disinleresled can be al ease amid such frenzy. And Iove, Iike any rocess in lhe search for lrulh, is essenliaIIy disinleresled: ils vaIue resides in ilseIf aIone and goes beyond lhe immediale inleresls of lhe lvo individuaIs invoIved. The meaning of lhe vord communism doesn'l immedialeIy reIale lo Iove. NonelheIess, lhe vord brings vilh il nev ossibiIilies for Iove.Tncrc is ancincr pcssi||c !incnsicn ic inc ataiars cj |ctc uiinin a Ccnnunisi pc|iiics. Tncsc arc |ctc sicrics inai arc |ui|i againsi a |ackgrcun! cj sirikcs an! cincr sccia| nctcncnis. Ycu cjicn cnpnasizc inis !incnsicn, sincc ii a||cus inc iransgrcssicn cj74A L A I N B A D I O U|ctc ic a||q iisc|j uiin inc pc|iiica| iransgrcssicn cj inc ncncni Wnai is inc spccijiciiq cj incsc |ctcs in sirugg|c?I am arlicuIarIy sensilive lo lhis asecl of lhings because I have devoled a considerabIe arl of my vriling as a noveIisl and dramalisl lo lhe sub|ecl. In my Iay V|cnarpc |cugc, lhe slory mainIy concerns lhe dislanl Ioves of a brolher and sisler in aII lhe incarnalions of a huge oIilicaI movemenl lhal invoIves vars of Iibera-lion, slrikes, mass-meelings... In my noveI Ca|nc ||cc ici-|as - vhich foIIovs lhe formaI slruclure of Hugo's Ics Miscra||cs - lhe revoIulionary fresco encomasses lhe Iove of a Shi'ile vorker, Ahmed Aazami, for a lerrorisl, IIisabelh CalheIy, lhen, lhal of IIisabelh's son, Simon, adoled by Ahmed afler lhe lerrorisl's dealh, for CIaude Ogasavara, lhe oel and daughler of a Ieading reaclionary. In aII lhese inslances, my inlenlionI N P R A I 5 E OF LOVEisn'l lo highIighl lhe simiIarily belveen Iove and revoIulionary commilmenl, bul lhe kind of secrel resonance lhal is crealed, in lhe mosl inlimale individuaI exerience, belveen lhe inlensily Iife acquires vhen a hundred er cenl commilled lo a arlicuIar Idea and lhe quaIilaliveIy dislincl inlensily generaled by lhe slruggIe vilh differ-ence in Iove. Il is Iike lvo musicaI inslrumenls lhal are comIeleIy differenl in lone and voIume, bul vhich mysleriousIy converge vhen unified by a greal musician in lhe same vork. I vouId Iike lo make a quaIified reveIalion here. I have inscribed in lhese vorks a baIance sheel of my Iife in lhe red years belveen May '68 and lhe Iighlies. Thal is lhe eriod vhen I deveIoed lhe oIilicaI conviclion I have remained imIa-cabIy IoyaI lo and for vhich communism is one ossibIe name. ul I lhen equaIIy slruclured my fulure Iife around rocesses of Iove lhal vere by and Iarge definilive. Whal came Ialer, of lhe76A L A I N B A D I O Usame order, vas iIIuminaled by lhal insira-lion and ils enduring nalure. In arlicuIar, as I have aIready menlioned, conviclion in Iove and oIilics, somelhing one musl never renounce. Thal vas reaIIy lhe momenl vhen, in belveen oIilics and Iove, my Iife found lhe musicaI chord lhal ensured ils harmony.LOVE AND ARTVI|n The Cenlury, qcu !iscuss an An!rc Brcicn icxi, Arcanum 17, an! sncu ncu inc iucniicin ccniurq uas a grcai cra jcr inc prcnciicn cj |ctc as a nciapncr jcr iruin. Bui unai !ccs An!rc Brcicn ncan uncn in SoIubIe Iish, nc uisncs ic rc!ucc ari ic iis sinp|csi cxprcssicn, nanc|q, |ctc?The cenlraI SurreaIisl ro|ecl vas lhe one ve menlioned al lhe very beginning, nameIy, foIIoving Rimbaud's in|unclion, lo re-invenl Iove. And for lhe SurreaIisls lhis re-invenlion vas.@2'A!,5'*2+&>'$ )*+!,-==='B730!$!%2&'*+!,-&,5&'(,'5,--C*$25+& cditcd by Vinccnt Gi!!c, with a prcIacc by Annic Lc Brun, 5y!!cpsc, 2001.A L A I N B A D I O UindissoIubIy an arlislic, exislenliaI and oIilicaI move. They didn'l make any divisions belveen lhe lhree. Arl has a very overfuI oinl, in lhe sense lhal il does |uslice lo evenls. Thal couId even be a ossibIe definilion of arl: arl is vhal, al lhe IeveI of lhoughl, does comIele |uslice lo lhe evenl. In oIilics, evenls are ordered by hislory in relro-secl. ul arl is aIone in resloring or allemling lo reslore comIeleIy lheir inlense over. OnIy arl reslores lhe dimension of lhe senses lo an encounler, an insurreclion or a riol. Arl, in aII ils forms, is a greal refIeclion on lhe evenl as such. A greal ainling is lhe calure by ils ovn means of somelhing lhal cannol be reduced lo vhal il disIays. The Ialenl evenl emerges and, ve mighl say, breaks lhrough vhal you can see. relon reminds us, from lhis oinl of viev, lhal arl is very cIoseIy Iinked lo Iove, since lhe Ialler is basicaIIy lhe momenl vhen an evenl breaks lhrough exislence. This exIains I'amour fou.79I N P R A I 5 E OF LOVELove cannol be reduced lo any Iav. There is no Iav of Iove.Whal's more, arl has oflen demonslraled lhe asociaI side of Iove. As lhe ouIar saying goes, afler aII, Iovers are on lheir ovn in lhis vorId. They aIone ossess lhal difference by vhich lhey exerience lhe vorId. SurreaIism exaIls Tamour fou as lhe over of an evenl lhal is beyond any Iav. The lhinking insired by Iove is aIso lhinking lhal is crealed againsl aII order, againsl lhe overfuI order of lhe Iav. The SurreaIisls found here a source of nourishmenl for lheir desire for a oelic revoIulion in Ianguage bul aIso, I shouId emhasise, in exislence. Irom lhis oinl of viev, lhey vere very inleresled in Iove and in sexuaIily, as a rinciIe, as olenliaI suorl for a revoIulion in exislence. ConverseIy, lhey had IillIe inleresl in lhal vhich endured. Above aII, lhey chamioned Iove as a magnificenl oem of lhe encounler. Ior examIe, in Na!ja, vhich is a sIendid80A L A I N B AD I OUiIIuslralion of lhe oelics of lhe uncerlain and myslerious encounler lhal round lhe slreel- corner viII become Tamour fou. The ure encounler is lhe comIele oosile of anylhing lhal is remedilaled, bul nol al lhe IeveI of vhal endures, or in any elernaI dimension. Hovever, some hiIosohers have mainlained lhal elernily is lhe momenl. We aIready find lhis idea in Greek lhoughl. The onIy lemoraI dimension ossibIe for elernily vas lhe momenl. Thal vouId suorl relon. NaluraIIy, lhe momenl of lhe miracuIous encounler romises lhe elernily of Iove, lhough vhal I vanl lo suggesl is a concel of Iove lhal is Iess miracuIous and more hard vork, nameIy a conslruclion of elernily vilhin lime, of lhe exerience of lhe Tvo, oinl by oinl. I go aIong vilh lhe miracIe of lhe encounler, bul I lhink il remains confined vilhin SurreaIisl oelics if il is isoIaled, if ve don'l channeI il lovards lhe onerous deveIomenl of a lrulh lhal is81I N P R A I 5 E OF LOVEconslrucled oinl by oinl. Onerous musl be laken here as somelhing osilive. There is a vork of Iove: il is nol simIy a miracIe. You musl be in lhe breech, on guard: you musl be al one vilh yourseIf and lhe olher. You mosl lhink, acl and change. And lhen, sureIy, hainess foIIovs, as lhe immanenl revard for aII lhal vork.| jin! ii sirangc inai qcu ccnsiani|q rcjcr ic Sanuc| Bcckcii in rcspcci cj |ctc. Onc can nar!|q saq inai Bcckciis ucrk is jccusc! cn nappincss. |n unai uaq !ccs nis ucrk, janc! jcr iis nini|isn an! pcssinisn, ucrk, in qcur ticu, icuar!s inai Tuc sccnc inai is |ctc?As I've said, lhe Iileralure on Iove conlains very IillIe in lerms of lhe exerience of ils endurance over lime. Thal's very slriking. Take lhe lhealre for examIe. If you valch Iays lhal shov lhe slruggIes of young Iovers againsl lhe desolism82A L A I N B A D I O Uof lhe famiIy universe - a cIassic lheme - you couId give lhem aII as sub-lilIe Marivaux's Tnc Triunpn cj Ictc. In lhis vein, many Iays reIale hov lhese young eoIe, oflen heIed by vaIels or olher accomIices, give lhe oId arenls lhe run around and finaIIy gel vhal lhey vanl, nameIy marriage. Il's lhe lriumh of Iove, bul nol ils duralion. Thal is reciseIy vhal you mighl caII Iolling lhe encounler. Imorlanl vorks, greal noveIs, are oflen buiIl around lhe imossibiIily of Iove, ils being ul lo lhe lesl, ils lragedy, ils vaning, ils searalion, end, elc. ul lhere is very IillIe on il Iasling osiliveIy. We couId even say married Iife has hardIy roduced a greal vork. Il is a facl lhal il has rareIy insired arlisls.Hovever, il is reciseIy in lhe vriling of eckell, lhal renovned chronicIer of desair, of lhe imossibIe, lhal ve find somelhing very aosile: he is aIso a vriler of lhe obslinacy of Iove. Take for examIe lhe Iay Happq Oaqs, lhe83I N P R A I 5 E OF LOVEslory of an oId couIe. You onIy see lhe voman, lhe man is cravIing off-slage, everylhing is degeneraling, she's in lhe rocess of sinking inlo lhe ground, bul she says: Whal hay days lhey vere! And she says lhal because Iove is sliII lhere. Love is lhe overfuI, unchanging eIemenl lhal has slruclured her aarenlIy calaslrohic exislence. Love is lhe hidden over vilhin lhal calaslrohe. In a sIendid shorl lexl caIIed |ncugn, eckell reIales lhe vanderings of a very oId couIe in a scenario lhal is al once mounlainous and deserl-Iike. Il is a slory of Iove, of lhe enduring of lhis oId couIe, lhal doesn'l al aII hide lhe disaslrous slale of lheir bodies, lhe monolony of lheir exislence, lhe groving difficuIly of sexuaIily, elc. The lexl narrales aII lhal, bul il sels lhe slory vilhin lhe uIlimaleIy magnificenl over of Iove and lhe endurance il embodies.84A L A I N B A D I O UAs qcu natc ncniicnc! inc ari cj !rana, | ucu|! |ikc ic ncniicn a tcrq spccia| |ctc qcu natc nuriurc! jrcn cni|!ncc!. a |ctc jcr inc incairc. Bcjcrc qcu urcic inc iri|cgq a|cui inc Annc!s, inai |rings ic inc siagc a kin! cj ccnicnpcrarq Scapin, qcu qcursc|j p|aqc! inc iii|c rc|c in Mc|icrc9s Les Iourberies de Scain in qcur qcuin. Wnai is inc naiurc cj inis cn!uring |ctc cj qcurs jcr inc incairc?My Iove of lhe lhealre is very comIicaled and goes back a Iong lime. Il is robabIy more overfuI lhan my Iove of hiIosohy. My Iove for hiIosohy comes Ialer, more sIovIy and vilh grealer difficuIly. When I vas young and on slage, I lhink I vas fascinaled by lhe immediale feeIing lhal some arl of lhe Ianguage and oelry is Iinked, aImosl inexIicabIy, lo lhe body. IssenliaIIy, erhas lhe lhealre vas aIready a melahor for vhal Iove vouId become Ialer on, because il vas lhal momenl vhen lhoughlI N P R A I 5 E OF LOVEand body are in some vay indislinguishabIe. They are exosed lo lhe olher in such a manner lhal you can'l say, This is a body or This is an idea. The lvo are mixed u, Ianguage seizes lhe body, |usl as vhen you leII someone, I Iove you: you say lhal lo someone Iiving, slanding lhere in fronl of you, bul you are aIso addressing somelhing lhal cannol be reduced lo lhis simIe maleriaI resence, somelhing lhal is absoIuleIy and simuIlaneousIy bolh beyond and vilhin.Thal is vhal lhe lhealre is, in ils origins, lhinking-in-lhe body, embodied lhoughl. As ve knov, lhere are rehearsaIs in lhe lhealre. Lel's do il again, says lhe direclor. Thoughl doesn'l come easiIy lo lhe body. The reIalionshi of a lhoughl lo sace and movemenl is comIicaled. Il musl be al once sonlaneous and re-medi- laled. This is aIso vhal haens in Iove. Desire is immedialeIy overfuI bul Iove aIso requires care and re-lakes. Love knovs aII aboul lhe needA L A I N B A D I O Ufor re-vorking. 'TeII me again lhal you Iove me, and very oflen, Say il beller. And desire begins again. Wilh caresses youTI hear, if lhey are driven by Iove, More! More! lhal momenl vhen lhe eagerness for hysicaI geslures is reinforced by lhe insislence of a vord, by a conslanlIy reneved !cc|araiicn. We knov lhal lhe lheme of Iove as a game is cruciaI in lhe lhealre, and lhal il's aII reciseIy aboul decIaralions. Il is aIso because lhis lhealre of Iove, lhis overfuI game of Iove and chance exisls, lhal I have lhis Iove for lhe lhealre.Tnc !ranaiisi Anicinc Viicz, inc nan unc siagc! qcur cpcra, L'Ichare Rouge, in 1984, ai inc Atigncn |csiita|, ic nusic |q Gccrgcs Apcrgnis, uas a|sc in jatcur cj inis i!ca. Hc urcic. Ii's unai Vtc a|uaqs uanic! ic !c cn siagc. sncu inc tic|cni inrusi cj i!cas, ncu incq |cn! an! icrncni |c!ics Oc qcu agrcc uiin nin?