Resumen

RETAMOZO, Martín. Populism and Political Theory: From a Theory to an Epistemology of Populism for Latin America. Revista Venezolana de Economía y Ciencias Sociales [online]. 2006, vol.12, n.2, pp.95-113. ISSN 20030507.

Once again, as though it were a cyclical necessity, the question of populism is back on the social science agenda. This article proposes to broach the problem by way of a critical discussion of Ernesto Laclau’s writings, from the earliest to the most recent. After identifying the advances and the key questions that remain problematic, the article suggests how to approach the search for an appropriate epistemology of populism for studying the phenomenon in Latin America. In particular, the author insists on the need to establish a firm theoretical base for analyzing popular subjectivities and popular identities, of central importance for understanding populism in Latin America.

Palabras clave : Populism; Ernesto Laclau; Theory; Epistemology; Latin America.