The Biopolitical Animal

Reconceptualizing biopolitics in relation to animal lives

Carlo Salzani editor Felice Cimatti editor

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Edinburgh University Press

Published:30th Nov '24

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

The Biopolitical Animal cover

This collection explores how biopolitics and the animal question intersect, pushing boundaries in ethical and political discussions. The Biopolitical Animal redefines these concepts for modern analysis.

In The Biopolitical Animal, the intricate relationship between biopolitics and the animal question is examined, revealing new dimensions in contemporary debates. The collection argues that understanding biopolitics necessitates an engagement with the animal question, which transcends mere ethical considerations and delves into the politics of life across species. This perspective challenges traditional views that often prioritize human experiences while neglecting the broader implications of our interactions with other forms of life.

The essays within this volume, contributed by prominent scholars in biopolitics and animal studies, seek to redefine and problematize existing frameworks. They highlight how biopolitical theories are often rooted in animal metaphors, yet primarily focus on human corporeality. By bridging these two fields, the authors aim to uncover the potential of a biopolitical analysis that fully incorporates the complexities of animal lives and their significance in our political landscape.

Ultimately, The Biopolitical Animal serves as a crucial contribution to both biopolitical theory and animal studies, encouraging readers to rethink their assumptions about species boundaries and the ethical responsibilities that come with them. It invites a reconsideration of how we view life itself, urging a more inclusive approach that recognizes the interconnectedness of all living beings.

If the reflection opened by Foucault focused on the animalization of the human being, it missed the political question of animal life. This book, perhaps for the first time, breaks down this door, no longer looking at the animal from the point of view of the human, but at the human from the point of view of the animal species. From this perspective, the great questions of anti-racism, feminism and decolonization receive new light. Together with the post-human, the reflection on the post-animal opens a new season of affirmative biopolitics. -- Roberto Esposito, author of Bios: Biopolitics and Philosophy
Cimatti and Salzani manage to put together an outstanding collection of cutting-edge contributions by gathering many lucid voices among the most daring contemporary thinkers in animal and bio-political studies alike. -- Francesco Guercio * DALPS *

ISBN: 9781399525985

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: unknown

320 pages