Freedom, autonomy, democracy: Castoriadis and the commons

Abstract

Cornelius Castoriadis defines freedom as the openness of the social imaginary, stemming from the indeterminacy of ontological creation. As such, freedom is the philosophical precondition of individual and collective autonomy. Castoriadis’s conceptualization of freedom surpasses the modern distinction between negative and positive freedom by introducing the model of direct democracy that integrates the private sphere of the individual into the public sphere of the demos, thereby enhancing both individual and collective autonomy. Direct democracy aims at the correct articulation of the private, the public/private, and the public sphere. Interestingly, the last decades have witnessed the emergence of the Commons, echoing Castoriadis’s project in several respects. This paper offers an introduction to Castoriadis’s philosophy along with a critical gaze at the intercept of his political project with the Commons.