Critical theory has long concerned itself with the exploration of radical political subjectivities, of the various ways in which social movements, revolutionary classes and everyday communities reshape themselves and their relations in order to survive, transform or defeat oppressive forces. This special issue brings together a series of articles examining different forms (and spaces) of contemporary radical subjectivities, situating them in a global context. This short editorial introduction highlights the major themes of the special issue (placing particular attention on the relationship between theory and the subject), and outlines the eight pieces that follow.