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Kenneth Aliu's Reviews > Necropolitics
Necropolitics (Theory in Forms)
by
by
“The ultimate expression of sovereignty resides, to a large degree in the power and the capacity to dictate who may live and who must die”
The political theorist Achille Mbembe is an author I can never get enough of. He is a thought-provoking writer who was highly influential during my undergrad years, so it is no coincidence that I turn to his wisdom during this uncertain times. In Necro (death) politics, I finds some answers and unsettling questions we can use to explain the crisis of sovereignty. Especially in times like this when the Covid-19 pandemic seems to be a test of this resolve. It is fair to say this current climate is a mix of Foucault/Mbembe couched with little doses of Marx. I digress.
“Democracy, the plantation, and the colonial empire are objectively all part of the same historical matrix. This originary structuring fact lies at the heart of every historical understanding of the violence of the contemporary global order”
Mbembe isn’t afraid to tell it as it is. In some way, Mbembe reminds me of Edouard Glissant as he rejects the limitations of geography and in fact theorizes from a position which stretches beyond the confines of the nation-state. In Necropolitics, Mbembe wields history with precision and tells us that history can be f*cking complex, disturbing, multiplicitous and complicated. That the struggles within any nation-state (African States, Latin America, Middle East, "Global South" etc) are deeply tied to issues of Western modernity. With authority Mbembe’s Necropolitics speaks with clarity to the issues of this very political moment. One only needs to observe the collapse of state structures in the Global South, dare I say, and (North).
In addition, I enjoyed Mbembe footnotes, they are not comforting, but he introduces you to incredible Writers, Scholars and Theorists. At the end of my study, I had a thorough grasp of both Foucault's bio (life) politics and Mbembe Necro (death) politics and was able to place these terms and Theorists in conversation with one another. I will definitely be reading Necropolitics again. As I staunchly believe it is an essential read we can all utilize as a society to envision a brave new world.
Critiques
- Language can sometimes be a bit abstract might require supplementary readings. It also can be quite daunting.
- Mbembe's writing style can sometimes come off as overly academic - Jargon.
- Post-colonial Authors need to relax with the jargon lol, who are you writing for?
The political theorist Achille Mbembe is an author I can never get enough of. He is a thought-provoking writer who was highly influential during my undergrad years, so it is no coincidence that I turn to his wisdom during this uncertain times. In Necro (death) politics, I finds some answers and unsettling questions we can use to explain the crisis of sovereignty. Especially in times like this when the Covid-19 pandemic seems to be a test of this resolve. It is fair to say this current climate is a mix of Foucault/Mbembe couched with little doses of Marx. I digress.
“Democracy, the plantation, and the colonial empire are objectively all part of the same historical matrix. This originary structuring fact lies at the heart of every historical understanding of the violence of the contemporary global order”
Mbembe isn’t afraid to tell it as it is. In some way, Mbembe reminds me of Edouard Glissant as he rejects the limitations of geography and in fact theorizes from a position which stretches beyond the confines of the nation-state. In Necropolitics, Mbembe wields history with precision and tells us that history can be f*cking complex, disturbing, multiplicitous and complicated. That the struggles within any nation-state (African States, Latin America, Middle East, "Global South" etc) are deeply tied to issues of Western modernity. With authority Mbembe’s Necropolitics speaks with clarity to the issues of this very political moment. One only needs to observe the collapse of state structures in the Global South, dare I say, and (North).
In addition, I enjoyed Mbembe footnotes, they are not comforting, but he introduces you to incredible Writers, Scholars and Theorists. At the end of my study, I had a thorough grasp of both Foucault's bio (life) politics and Mbembe Necro (death) politics and was able to place these terms and Theorists in conversation with one another. I will definitely be reading Necropolitics again. As I staunchly believe it is an essential read we can all utilize as a society to envision a brave new world.
Critiques
- Language can sometimes be a bit abstract might require supplementary readings. It also can be quite daunting.
- Mbembe's writing style can sometimes come off as overly academic - Jargon.
- Post-colonial Authors need to relax with the jargon lol, who are you writing for?
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
April 26, 2020
– Shelved
April 26, 2020
–
Finished Reading
