Biopolitical Bestialisation: Considering Brutalisation in Politics Cover Image

Biopolityczna bestiaryzacja. Rozważania o zezwierzęceniu w polityce
Biopolitical Bestialisation: Considering Brutalisation in Politics

Author(s): Rafał Wonicki
Subject(s): Politics
Published by: Instytut Studiów Politycznych PAN
Keywords: Agamben; bios; dzoé; bestiality; state of exception; biopolitics; perpetrator

Summary/Abstract: The article explores the phenomenon of violence from the biopolitical perspective. Agamben’s theory is the main methodological framework of the analysis. The main aim of the article is to show that different forms of evil in politics, such as atrocities, genocide and holocaust,be described in a philosophically relevant way by using the categories of bios/dzoé. Thus, at the beginning, author reconstructs Agamben’s main ideas (sections 1 and 2). Then, the ideas are supplemented by the classical understanding of dzōé/bios (section 3). The author can thus create a typology of bestiality. Finally, he focuses on the victims of the anthropo-political machine and their perpetrators (section 4). This makes it possible to point out some flaws in Agamben’s reasoning and reach more general conclusions concerning human nature (section 5).

  • Issue Year: 2018
  • Issue No: 23
  • Page Range: 35-58
  • Page Count: 24
  • Language: Polish
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