A fundamental yet complicated question lingers in my head while reading: what is the premise to follow or assumption that we are making when we talk about politics？Where does political right comes from, or how it is constituted remains inexplicit to me. However, it is crucial as it determines the perspective from which we interpret politics as a part of human society as well as humanity.
It is indicated that “autonomy becomes a politics when it turns out that part of society (and hence of humanity) is excluded-legally or not-from the universal right to politics” (Balibar, 6), which seems to suggest that political rights only come into being with its opposite counterpart of oppression begins and politics only a form of establishment created by human but not humanity. Similarly, Mouffe used terms of “hegemonic nature of every kind of social order and envisaging society” to characterize politics (Mouffe, 2). If that is true, then the relationship between “natural right” (such as liberty, equality) and “political (or probably legal) right” becomes truly paradoxical. As natural right should be universal and independent from all different traditions, cultures, legal systems and governments, the formation of politics- although in the name of emancipation- to some extent violates the nature of human rights itself.