Commons as an empty signifier

Abstract

Abstract

With this contention, we support a reading of commons as an empty signifier providing a nuanced way to understand the concepts’ contribution for politics in a time of multiple and overlapping crises such as climate change and pandemics. We suggest thinking of the commons as an empty signifier following the logic of Ernesto Laclau and his approach to populist reason. We argue that the contribution of commons to politics of our times should be understood on the basis of the practices that produce a commons and forge relationships between the ones participating in it and the environment that supports and maintains a commons. By doing that we argue, we could better understand how different commons contribute to collective efforts for approaching the existential problems of our times. In our understanding, this reading opens new ways of seeing, understanding and building capacity for the relation between state, commons and capital to approach the problems related to this epoch.