In Alain Badiou’s philosophy, particularly as articulated in Being and Event, “faithfulness” to an event is grounded not in prior knowledge or empirical evidence but in a subjective decision to commit to the transformative potential of the event. This commitment involves a sustained process of integrating the implications of the event into the existing situation, thereby actualizing its truth.
Badiou posits that an event is a rupture in the normal flow of life, introducing a new possibility that was previously unthinkable. The subject who recognizes this event and chooses to remain faithful to it engages in what Badiou terms a “truth procedure.” This procedure is the ongoing effort to explore and implement the consequences of the event, effectively reshaping the situation in light of the new truth.
This conception of faithfulness aligns with Badiou’s broader philosophical project, which seeks to understand how truths emerge and persist in various domains such as politics, science, art, and love. In each case, the subject’s fidelity to an event is what allows a new truth to be constructed and sustained over time.
Thus, in Badiou’s framework, faithfulness is not grounded in empirical validation or rational justification but in the subject’s unwavering commitment to the transformative potential of the event. It’s an active, ongoing process that requires the subject to continually integrate the event’s implications into the fabric of reality, thereby actualizing its truth.