Form of Life: Agamben and the Destitution of Rules
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Edinburgh University Press
Published:13th Dec '22
Should be back in stock very soon
A rigorous reading of Agamben's concept of form-of-life Discusses Agamben's political thought and the question of anarchy Re-evaluates Agamben's thought in light of his later works and the recent completion of the Homo Sacer series Considers Agamben's related works on use, praxis, inoperativity, and destitutio Outlines a theoretical framework through which to think of a non-state and non-legal politics Explores underappreciated influences of Agamben's philosophy The concept of a form-of-life is the centre of gravity around which Agamben has advanced his attempts to think of an alternative politics. It refers to a living dimension that has overthrown the structures of power in which humans are supposedly destined to live, disclosing the possibility of a new understanding of political and legal life. By placing 'form-of-life' in the context of contemporary philosophy, this book re-imagines anew some of the basic categories of human socialities such as work, rights, obligation, property, and use. It explores the ways in which Agamben's philosophy might be a strategic resource for developing political and legal strategies that leave behind a situation dominated by pervasive sovereign violence. At a moment of history in which the fundamental promises of Western modernity are undergoing a decisive crisis, to look beyond the basic categories of human social institutions becomes an urgency. Through a close engagement with Agamben's concept of form-of-life, this book seeks to challenge the current crisis of juridical, political and economic reality.
"This is one of the best books on Agamben in recent years and essential reading for any Agamben scholar. More than it is an original and wide-raging book that is immensely useful in its consideration of our understanding of sovereignty and form of life in critical jurisprudence. It is fascinating reading for anyone interested in Agamben's biopolitics in the context of Schmitt's decisionism, Wittgenstein's form of life, law and, crucially, the essential recent body work of Agamben published in the last two decades. This will be a book we return to again and again in the years to come." -William Watkin, Brunel University
ISBN: 9781474460927
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
232 pages