TOTALITARIANISM AND FREEDOM IN THE WORK OF CLAUDE LEFORT
Democracy. Freedom. Totalitarianism. Political. Society.
Through this dissertation, we propose the investigation and discussion about freedom in Claude Lefort's thought, as well as its unfolding in opposition to the threat of totalitarian domination. In order to do so, we read Lefort's texts in their different writing contexts, analyzing what freedom is for the author and whether it can be understood as an instrument for overcoming totalitarianism. Furthermore, we present the influences of thinkers such as Machiavelli and Tocqueville in their philosophical path. The opening chapters present the work of the French thinker, as well as his understanding of the political in its symbolic order, especially in the discussion of themes such as the disembodiment of power and its empty place. The author carries out in his work the work of political philosophy from the incessant questioning and revelation of the contradictions and indeterminations arising from the complexity of contemporary society and the democratic experience. We also seek to identify whether there is a unity in the understanding of politics in Lefort's work and how his production of thought influences the understanding of contemporary society. In other words, we seek to follow the author's philosophical movement to approach the topics of freedom and totalitarianism from his inflections and the events of his time.