Agamben's Critique of Hobbes's Leviathan

Agamben's Critique of the Leviathan

• Agamben argues that Hobbes's Leviathan, while seemingly establishing a sovereign power, actually undermines the very distinction between the inside and outside of the political realm.
• He critiques Hobbes's concept of the state of nature, arguing it's a framework for totalizing power rather than a literal historical description.
• Agamben highlights the crucial role of "bare life" (nudo vita) in Hobbes's theory. This concept describes human life as existing outside of political order, only to be subjected to it.
• Hobbes's Leviathan, in Agamben's interpretation, constructs a state that can arbitrarily suspend the law in certain instances, potentially eliminating distinction between life and death and citizen and enemy.
• Agamben's central claim is that Hobbes's concept of sovereignty, while seemingly creating a secure political order, fundamentally renders individuals vulnerable to arbitrary power, blurring the boundaries of law and exception.
• The sovereign, as conceived by Hobbes, holds power to decide who is included or excluded from the political domain. This power is not limited by law but derives its legitimacy ultimately from its potential to assert order even at expense of individual existence.
• Agamben argues this "absolute power" undermines the natural right of individuals to their own life. This power is, according to Hobbes, the only safeguard against chaos, and Agamben questions its fundamental nature and consequences.

The State of Exception as a Key Concept

• Agamben emphasizes the "state of exception" as a crucial aspect of Hobbesian thought.
• The state of exception is not a brief interruption of the norm, but is instead a constitutive element of sovereign power, permitting arbitrary suspension of the law.
• Agamben contends that the state of exception, in the hands of a sovereign, gives the sovereign the power to decide who is subject to the law and who is not.
• It allows for the indefinite suspension of the law when the sovereign perceives an immediate threat to the social order.
• Agamben argues that this blurring of the lines between the ordinary and extraordinary empowers the sovereign, creating a space where the law can be completely bypassed.
• Hobbes, in Agamben's reading, does not seek to establish a stable legal order but rather to establish a space where a sovereign can exercise their ultimate power without any limitations.

"Bare Life" and Political Exclusion

• Agamben analyzes how Hobbes's concept of "bare life" (nudo vita) permeates the political realm.
• Bare life is human existence reduced to its biological necessities, without any political or social attributes.
• The state, in Agamben's interpretation, can potentially treat individuals as bare life, not necessarily citizens governed by legal structures.
• Political order, for Hobbes, is built on the exclusion of "bare life" from the category of lawful political subjects.
• Agamben examines how Hobbes's formulations regarding the state of nature ultimately place those outside law into a space where the sovereign can act without constraint.
• The implications of this concept of bare life, for Agamben, extend beyond mere political theory and touch upon the power relations inherent in any society.

Implications of Agamben's Critique

• Agamben's critique transcends Hobbes, applying its core concepts to contemporary political phenomena.
• His framework helps to analyze contemporary practices of exclusion, control, and totalitarianism.
• Agamben's analysis of the state of exception, for example, can be applied to the justification of exceptional measures, or to the militarization of borders, and to how a political system can control populations.
• His arguments raise crucial questions about the limits of state power, the nature of law, and the relationship between sovereignty, law, and human life.
• Agamben's perspective poses fundamental questions for political theory and contemporary political practice, providing a lens for understanding the potential for state power to manipulate and control individuals.

This quiz explores Agamben's interpretation of Hobbes's Leviathan and how it critiques the nature of sovereign power. It delves into the concepts of 'bare life' and the implications of the blurred boundaries between law and arbitrary power. Test your understanding of these philosophical arguments.