In recent decades, the boundaries of democratic polities have been increasingly contested in the field of democratic theory. The theoretical discussion has focused on the philosophical norms that should demarcate the boundaries of democratic constituencies. This article defends and explores an alternative approach that, instead of focusing solely on theoretical norms, theorizes democratic processes of boundary-making. This alternative approach addresses the multiplicity of intertwined boundaries bounding demos and agents capable of transforming and democratizing these multiple boundaries. I characterize a category (...) of agents who democratize symbolic everyday boundaries as transboundary associations. The democratization of the symbolic boundaries of everyday interactions is a necessary condition for the democratization of formal boundary-making, since in democratic orders and societies, institutions cannot simply impose boundaries on people. Transboundary associations produce sites for incipient democratic politics that transcend current institutional and symbolic boundaries, producing possibilities for reciprocal boundary-making. (shrink)

En este artículo busco repensar el concepto de transformación política con la ayuda de algunas sugerencias de la obra del filósofo Étienne Balibar. De acuerdo con esto, en primer lugar, señalo que la práctica política actualiza cierto carácter irreductible de la violencia en el interior de la coexistencia humana. En segunda instancia, argumento que dicha actualización tiene un desenvolvimiento ético que permite que las relaciones sociales estén atravesadas por la inminencia del conflicto político. Finalmente, muestro que la práctica política teje (...) unos criterios sensibles que conjuran la aparición de la extrema violencia en el mundo contemporáneo. (shrink)