Giorgio Agamben: Sovereignty and Life

by Matthew Calarco (Editor), Steven Decaroli (Editor), Giorgio Agamben

Giorgio Agamben has come to be recognized in recent years as one of the most provocative and imaginative thinkers in contemporary philosophy and political theory. The essays gathered together in this volume shed light on his extensive body of writings and assess the significance of his work for debates across a wide range of fields, including philosophy, political theory, Jewish studies, and animal studies. The authors discuss material extending across the entire range of Agamben's writings, including such early works as Language and Death and more recent and widely acknowledged works such as Homo Sacer. Readers will find useful discussions of key concepts and theories in Agamben's work, such as sovereignty and bare life, along with more critical analyses of the political stakes and consequences of his theoretical and political interventions.

Genres: Philosophy

282 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Matthew Calarco is Associate Professor of Philosophy at California State University Fullerton, USA.

Reviews

[Leah Montange · Rating 4 out of 5]

a mixed bag; reaffirming.

[Sarah Dooling · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an edited volume that explores, applies, and challenges aspects of Agamben's work -- spefically focusing on the notions of sovereignty, state power, bare life, and "potentiality." In particular, Ernst Laclau's opening (and short) essay challenges the foundational assumptions in Agamben's work (as developed in Homo sacer)in a way that invites re-reading Agamben. In another essay, Paul Patterson compares Agamben's idea of bare life and biopower to Foucault's ideas of biopolitics. In a more unusual essay, someone else explores Agamben's concerns with animal life, drawing extensively from Agamben's book The Open. As a collection of secondary sources, I highly recommend this collection of essays.