The Moralization of Politics and the Denial of Constitutive Aggressiveness as a Mode of Jouissance

Abstract

This paper examines the effects of the moralization of politics as a mode of jouissance in academic approaches to aggression and extreme violence, particularly in contemporary contexts such as the far-right, fascism, and totalitarianism. Drawing on the analysis of several key works, it argues that this moralization conceals a deeper and more insidious issue: the denial of constitutive aggression. Specifically, it highlights how this denial stems from an unwillingness to acknowledge that some individuals may genuinely desire destruction. As a result, this refusal undermines the development of effective public policies for managing political conflict, since such conflict is no longer understood as an inherent aspect of human subjectivity.