A radical step in the liberation of humankind.

The World Affairs Council is pleased to join University Book Store in presenting Michael Hardt, an acclaimed philosopher and the co-author of "Multitude : War and Democracy in the Age of Empire." Picking up where they left off in their previous book, "Empire," Hardt and Antonio Negri argue in "Multitude" that some of the most disquieting aspects of the new world order contain the seeds of radical global social transformation. They attempt to illustrate how we are at a critical point in human affairs, a time when new circuits of power have grown beyond the ability of existing circuits of political sovereignty and social justice. "Multitude" aims to explain how the totalizing forces of Empire, by colonizing and interconnecting further areas of human life more deeply, have actually created the possibility for grass-roots democracy. The authors contend that the accelerating mixing of economic, social, political and cultural forces into an undifferentiated whole, what they call the "biopolitical," is actually a radical step in the liberation of humankind. They conclude their book by suggesting how a global multitude might form a strong biopolitical commons in which democracy can thrive on a global scale. At the conclusion of the evening program, Hardt will sign "Multitude," which will be available for purchase. Antonio Negri will not be touring.