Introduction

The introduction begins by indicating an almost paradoxical dynamic of philosophy and politics that gives shape to Butler’s thought. The double commitment – to urgency of action and to the scrupulous labour of thinking – is a crucial part of the peculiar performativity of Butler’s work. The introduction points to several cornerstone ideas that organize the book as a whole: insurrection at the level of ontology, Butler’s politics of philosophy, their philosophical struggle for the reduction of violence, their framing of social ontology the political impetus of which is radical equality. The second part of the introductory chapter lays down the structure of the book, focusing on its two-step architectonic. It is explained that the entire book is organised ‘in doubles’ to reflect Butler’s double commitment.