ABSTRACT
The insights gained through a post-democratic approach to political philosophy are only valuable to the extent they are applied. This chapter examines how a post-democratic outlook can inform a practical relationship to the persistent (pseudo-)political activities and habits that continue to structure post-democratic life. After exploring the efforts of Peter Kingsnorth’s Dark Mountain Project, an environmental group dedicated to mourning the destruction of the planet, this chapter shows how a post-democratic outlook can transform activities like the expression of preference, dissent, and discussion, previously considered political in their own right, into opportunities for therapeutic engagements with the reality of mass political powerlessness. The chapter concludes by addressing the broader political implications of adopting a post-democratic self-conception, ultimately characterizing it as a form of political realism oriented toward overcoming the prejudices of a democratic myopia.
