The Work of Giorgio Agamben: Law, Literature, Life

More than any other thinker, Giorgio Agamben shows us that philosophy is also a matter of style and politics a matter of poetics. This book explores the unexpected and illuminating paths that his work traces across the territories of law and literature, linguistics, dance or cinema, in search of a new idea and practice of the community. It offers an irreplaceable introduction to one of the most fascinating thinkers of our time.'Jacques RancièreGathering some of the most important established and emerging scholars to examine his body of work, this collection of essays seeks to explore Agamben's thought from these broader philosophical and literary concerns, underpinning its place within larger debates in continental philosophy. Including a contribution by Agamben himself, it is essential reading for anyone interested in his work.In the past five years, Giorgio Agamben has emerged as one of the most important continental philosophers. This burgeoning popularity of his work has largely been confined to a study of the homo sacer series. Yet these later 'political' works have their foundation in Agamben's earlier works on the philosophy of language, aesthetics and literature. From a philosophy of language and linguistics that leads to a broader theory of representation, Agamben develops a critical theory that attempts to explore the hiatuses and paradoxes that govern discursive practice across a broad range of disciplines. "Giorgio Agamben has emerged, in the past five years, as one of the most important continental philosophers. This burgeoning popularity of his work has largely been confined to a study of the homo sacer series. Yet these later 'political' writings have their foundation in Agamben's earlier works on the philosophy of language, aesthetics and literature. From a philosophy of language and linguistics that leads to a broader theory of representation, Agamben develops a critical theory that attempts to explore the hiatuses and paradoxes that govern discursive practice across a broad range of disciplines." "Gathering some of the most important established and emerging scholars to examine his body of work, this collection of essays seeks to explore Agamben's thought from these broader philosophical and literary concerns, underpinning its place within larger debates in continental philosophy."--Jacket More than any other thinker, Giorgio Agamben shows us that philosophy is also a matter of style, and politics a matter of poetics. This book explores the unexpected and illuminating paths that his work traces across the territories of law and literature, linguistics, dance or cinema, in search of a new idea and practice of the community. It offers an irreplaceable introduction to one of the most fascinating thinkers of our time.Jacques Rancire12 new essays, with a contribution by Agamben himselfGathering established and emerging scholars, this collection explores Agamben's thought from broad philosophical and literary concerns, underpinning its place within larger debates in continental philosophy. Contributors include Alexander Garca Dttmann, Deborah Levitt and Thanos Zartaloudis. Contents 4 Acknowledgements 6 Notes on Contributors 8 The Enigma of Giorgio Agamben 12 1. K 24 2. Integral Actuality: On Giorgio Agamben's Idea of Prose 39 3. The Role of the Shifter and the Problem of Reference in Giorgio Agamben 54 4. 'Its Silent Working was a Delusion' 77 5. Politics and Poetics of Divine Violence: On a Figure in Giorgio Agamben and Walter Benjamin 93 6. Idea of Poetry, Idea of Prose 108 7. The Fading Memory of Homo non Sacer 125 8. Soulblind, or On Profanation 143 9. Face to Face with Agamben; or, the Other in Love 160 10. Beyond Spectacle and the Image: the Poetics of Guy Debord and Agamben 175 11. Dismantling Theatricality: Aesthetics of Bare Life 192 12. Notes on Media and Biopolitics: 'Notes on Gesture' 204 Index 223 This collection of essays seeks to explore Agamben's work from philosophical and literary perspectives, thereby underpinning its place within larger debates in continental philosophy.