Leftist approaches to radical politics have undergone substantial changes since the 1970/80s due to the impact of postmodern and multicultural trends. The universal emancipatory aspirations branding the Left for two decenniums have been replaced by demands for recognition of the cultural specificity of the ‘non-West’. The Left has adopted positions formerly associated with the reactionary Right: the critiques of imperialism, capitalism and class domination have turned into critiques of the West, modernity and ethnocentrism. The paper looks primarely at the development of Mouffe’s work. From the early formulations of radical and plural democracy as libertarian and egalitarian over the encounter with Schmitt’s communitarian identity politics, that redefines democracy as the identity between rulers/ruled, to Mouffe’s latest discussions of human rights and democracy. Now, there is no concern with protecting individuals against oppression as the focus on cultures omits dissent, which goes hand in hand with the displacement of pluralism.
