The Political Implications of Sacrifice and Loss in the Thought of Georges Bataille.

Perhaps more than any other thinker, the French theorist Georges Bataille seeks to sever the notion of sacrifice from an economy of exchange where one gives in order to receive; he instead sees in sacrifice a way of disrupting such orders and removing both the sacrificer and victim out of the world of utility. By conceptualizing sacrifice in opposition to the useful, Bataille sees in the former a way of participating in the sacred and partaking of sovereignty. Consequently, the notion of loss (inherent to sacrifice) begins to take on a rather positive quality, as opposed to its usual negative connotations. While Bataille's writings have gained recognition in the fields of sociology and literary theory, and enjoy increasing popularity in religious studies, his work is only recently being read within political philosophy. This paper contributes to this recent trend by examining Bataille's thoughts on sacrifice, as well as related notions like loss and excess. Of specific interest are the implications of a Bataillean understanding of sacrifice and loss for a pluralist democracy where loss is an inevitable aspect of politics. While not necessarily providing the final word regarding all issues that might arise as a function of loss in politics, Bataille's unique perspective on these topics contributes to our understanding of democratic citizenship by offering a serious alternative regarding the ways in which we understand the place of loss and sacrifice in political life. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]