Includes bibliographical references and index.

What is radical politics today? / Jonathan Pugh -- pt. 1. Grand visions. Getting to the roots of radical politics today / Zygmunt Bauman -- What happened to radical humanism? / Frank Furedi -- Victim of success: green politics today / Paul Kingsnorth -- Radicalism against the masses / James Heartfield -- Moving targets and political judgements / Terrell Carver -- The forces shaping radical politics today / Clare Short -- Resistance after the spatial turn / Edward W. Soja -- pt. 2. New forms of radical politics. Questioning global political activism / David Chandler -- Rethinking political organisation / Hilary Wainwright -- Iraq, trauma and dissent in visual culture / Dora Apel -- Radicalism, writ large and small / Michael J. Watts -- Continuing the struggle in hard times / Jason Toynbee -- A politics of commitment / James Martin -- Beyond gesture, beyond pragmatism / Jeremy Gilbert and Jo Littler -- Invention and hard work / Doreen Massey -- pt. 3. Diversity and difference. Progressivism reinvigorated / Gregor McLennan -- In defence of multicultural citizenship / Tariq Modood -- New left and old far right: tolerating the intolerable / Nick Cohen -- Clashing the civilisations / Amir Saeed and David Bates -- Radicalism in nostalgia / Alastair Bonnett -- Universal conditions: modern childhood / Ken Worpole -- A new politics of innovation / Sheila Jasanoff -- Universities are radical / Nigel Thrift -- Radical politics after the crisis / Will Hutton -- pt. 4. The role of the state. Anarchism / Saul Newman -- The importance of engaging the state / Chantal Mouffe -- Common-sense beyond the neo-liberal state / David Featherstone -- Democracy, the state and capitalism today / Alejandro Colás and Jason Edwards -- Tackling the supplicant state / David Boyle -- The potential for a progressive state? / Saskia Sassen.

"A crisis makes you rethink your life. The recent economic crisis is no exception. All of us are now thinking how the world could be run differently. Despite this, a radical alternative has hardly emerged to mobilize the masses. Written for the public and students, this book explores the character and spirit of radical politics in our times"--Provided by publisher.