University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2010 A multitude of possibilities: the strategic vision of Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt Nicholas Southall University of Wollongong Recommended Citation Southall, Nicholas, A multitude of possibilities: the strategic vision of Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt, Doctorate of Philosophy thesis, University of Wollongong. School of History and Politics and Sociology Program, University of Wollongong, 2010. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/3274 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact Manager Repository Services: [email protected]. A Multitude of Possibilities: The Strategic Vision of Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree DOCTORATE OF PHILOSOPHY from UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG by NICHOLAS SOUTHALL B.A. (Hons) University of Wollongong SCHOOL OF HISTORY AND POLITICS AND SOCIOLOGY PROGRAM 2010 i CERTIFICATION I, Nicholas Southall, declare that this thesis, submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy, in the School of History and Politics and Sociology Program, University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. .......................................... Nicholas Christopher Southall ii Abstract………….………………………………………………………………................vii Acknowledgements……………………………………………………..……………........viii Introduction………………………………………………………………………….............1 Methods..……………………………………………………………………………………..3 Chapter 1 Negri and Hardt: Their Work and Ideas………………………………..........11 Antonio Negri: ‗Engaged Intellectual‘....................................................................................11 The Factory Without Walls and the Socialised Worker.......................................................................13 Deepening Consciousness....................................................................................................................16 The Strategy of Tension.......................................................................................................................18 Prison....................................................................................................................................................22 Michael Hardt: The ‗Next Master Theorist‘........................................................................................25 Empire and the New World Order.......................................................................................................27 Empire..................................................................................................................................................32 Multitude: War and Democracy in the Age of Empire........................................................................36 Commonwealth....................................................................................................................................38 Empire…………………………………………………………………………………….................40 The Multitude……………………………………………………………………………..................45 The Common……………………………………………………………………………...................47 Chapter 2 Democracy – ‘the rule of everyone by everyone’.............................................51 Noncapitalist Democracy........................................................................................................53 Nonrepresentative Democracy…………................................................................................56 Nonnational Democracy.........................................................................................................58 Constituent Power and State Power.......................................................................................59 Organising Democracy Politically.........................................................................................62 The Common Project of the Multitude………………………………………………..........65 Alternative Globalisation: The Many Headed Hydra………………………………............67 The World Social Forum and Civil Society: ‗A World of Many Worlds‘…………............70 The Multitude‘s Communication and Cooperation Against Capital………………….........72 Revolt in Latin America………………………………………………………………........74 Venezuela: ‗Socialism of the 21st Century‘…………………………………………….......76 The Other Campaign: From Below and for Below…………………………………….......78 Reform and Revolution……………………………………………………………….........80 Exodus: a Strategy of Communism…………………………………………………….......83 iii Organising Labour……………………………………………………………………..........85 Chapter 3 Democracy of the Multitude...............................................................................89 The Nation State..............................................................................................…………........93 Failed States……………………………………………………………………………........94 A Network of Networks..........................................................................................................96 One No, Many Yeses…………………………………………………………………..........98 We Are All Made Up of Multitudes.....................................................................................101 Within, Against and Beyond Capitalist State Forms............................................................104 Democratic Civil Society......................................................................................................113 Democratic, Autonomous Labour.........................................................................................114 Chapter 4 Peace: An End to War......................................................................................120 Empire and War....................................................................................................................123 Imperialism and War............................................................................................................129 The Iraq War and Global Civil War.....................................................................................131 Neo-Liberalism and Permanent Exceptionalism..................................................................136 Mercenaries of Empire……………………………………………………………….........138 The Lessons of the Civil War in Italy………………………………………………..........140 Guerrilla War is Over………………………………………………………………...........143 The Zapatistas: ―Soldiers So That There Will Not Be Any Soldiers‖……………….........145 The Multitude‘s War Against War……………………………………………………......148 War Against Alter-globalisation………………………………………………………......151 Fighting Over How to Fight……………………………………………………….............153 The Global Peace Movement: A ―New Superpower‖……………………………….........155 Chapter 5 War Against War and War Against Class....................................................158 Capital is Violence, War and Terror....................................................................................159 The Frontline is Everywhere...............................................................................................170 ‗Neither Their War Nor Their Peace‘..................................................................................175 Warlords and Terrorists.......................................................................................................177 The War of Terror: A Global Strategy of Tension…………………………………..........180 Democratic Violence………………………………………………………….........……..182 Venezuela: Democratisation or Militarisation?...................................................................186 Chile: Who Has the Guns?..................................................................................................189 The Comrade with the Gun Has the Floor…………………………………………...........191 iv Pitting Globalisation Against War…………………………………………………............194 The Multitude‘s Desire for Peace: Immanent and Pre-figurative Strategy…………...........197 At War Until We Are Free…………………………………………………………............199 Chapter 6 Love: The Heart of a Heartless World? .........................................................202 Immaterial and Affective Labour……………………………………………………..........211 Commonism…………………………………………………………………………..........217 Chapter 7 Love as Communist Praxis……………………………………………...........224 Labours of Love………………………………………………………………………........225 Women‘s Work, Community and Class………………………………………………........227 Re/productive Work…………………………………………………………………..........230 Wages for Housework………………………………………………………………….......232 Poverty and Commonwealth………………………………………………………….........237 Communism: The Love of the Multitude…………………………………………….........239 Commonality of Praxis, Ways of Living and Desires for a Better World…………............243 Returning the Gift………………………………………………………………….............246 The Long Summer of Love…………………………………………………………...........247 The Personal is Political……………………………………………………………............254 Celebrating Love……………………………………………………………………...........256 Capital and Love……………………………………………………………………...........260 Social Capital is Collective Capital…………………………………………………..........265 The Great Heart of the Class……………………………………………………….............268 Necrophilia or Biophilia?......................................................................................................272 A Change of Heart……………………………………………………………………........273 Chapter 8 The Biodiversity of Hardt and Negri’s Strategic Vision……………...........276