Biopolitics

by Lemke, Thomas; Trump, Eric Frederick

• ISBN13: 9780814752425
• ISBN10: 081475242X
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-02-15
• Publisher: Ingram Pub Services

Summary

The biological features of human beings are now measured, observed, and understood in ways never before thought possible, defining norms, establishing standards, and determining average values of human life. While the notion of "biopolitics" has been linked to everything from rational decision-making and the democratic organization of social life to eugenics and racism, Thomas Lemke offers the very first systematic overview of the history of the notion of biopolitics, exploring its relevance in contemporary theoretical debates and providing a much needed primer on the topic.Lemke explains that life has become an independent, objective and measurable factor as well as a collective reality that can be separated from concrete living beings and the singularity of individual experience. He shows how our understanding of the processes of life, the organizing of populations and the need to "govern" individuals and collectives lead to practices of correction, exclusion, normalization, and disciplining. In this lucidly written book, Lemke outlines the stakes and the debates surrounding biopolitics, providing a systematic overview of the history of the notion and making clear its relevance for sociological and contemporary theoretical debates.

Author Biography

Thomas Lemke is Heisenberg Professor of Sociology with focus on Biotechnology, Nature and Society at Goethe University (Frankfurt).

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. vii
Preface	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
Life as the Basis of Politics	p. 9
Life as an Object of Politics	p. 23
The Government of Living Beings: Michel Foucault	p. 33
Sovereign Power and Bare Life: Giorgio Agamben	p. 53
Capitalism and the Living Multitude: Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri	p. 65
The Disappearance and Transformation of Politics	p. 77
The End and Reinvention of Nature	p. 93
Vital Politics and Bioeconomy	p. 105
Prospect: An Analytics of Biopolitics	p. 117
Notes	p. 125
References	p. 129
Index	p. 139
About the Author	p. 145
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