Emperors on the move

Ricci, Cecilia

doi:10.4324/9781315608105-13

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“…Both fields of study are important, and they often run parallel to each other. If one wishes to learn more about the tangible biopolitical practices before Foucault's ‘biopolitical era’, they can refer to, for example, the discussions regarding climates in antiquity (Meloni, 2021a, 2021b), security in Rome (Ricci, 2018), and populations (Biller, 2000), as well as urban life and health during the Middle Ages (Geltner, 2019; Rawcliffe, 2013; Rawcliffe and Weeda, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Was Thomas Hobbes the first biopolitical thinker?

Lindholm

2023

History of the Human Sciences

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Thomas Hobbes's name often comes up as scholars debate the history of biopower, which regulates the biological life of individual bodies and entire populations. This article examines whether and to what extent Hobbes may be regarded as the first biopolitical philosopher. I investigate this question by performing a close reading of Hobbes's political texts and by comparing them to some of the most influential theories on biopolitics proposed by Michel Foucault, Giorgio Agamben, Roberto Esposito, and others. Hobbes is indeed the first great thinker to assert the supreme political importance of safeguarding life. Furthermore, this prominence of non-contemplative life is not limited to mere survival but also seeks to allow for the people's happiness. This may indeed allow us to consider him as the first biopolitical philosopher, at least in some limited capacity. However, the Englishman's biopolitical stance lacks the practical aspects seen in examples of ‘properly modern’ biopolitics. Moreover, peoples’ lives were already governed radically in antiquity. I argue that Hobbes's biopolitical system was, therefore, minimal in the sense of a ‘biopolitical nightwatchman state’. However, he acted as an undeniable catalyst to the ‘properly biopolitical era of modernity’, when mundane life and happiness became the explicit main objects of virtually all politics.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Was Thomas Hobbes the first biopolitical thinker?

Lindholm

2023

History of the Human Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Emperors on the move

Cited by 1 publication

References 0 publications

Was Thomas Hobbes the first biopolitical thinker?

Was Thomas Hobbes the first biopolitical thinker?

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