Giorgio Agamben: How The "State of Exception" Became The New Rule for Power
Title: Giorgio Agamben: How The "State of Exception" Became The New Rule for Power
Podcast series: Philosopheasy
Date of Publication: 13 August 2025
Introduction: Have you ever felt the rules of society change overnight? In this deep dive into the philosophy of Giorgio Agamben, we explore one of the most critical ideas for understanding modern power: the state of exception. The Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben argues that what was once a temporary emergency measure has become the permanent, unspoken system of governance in the 21st century.
This video breaks down Agamben's most challenging concepts in a clear and accessible way. We start with the idea of sovereignty, building on Carl Schmitt's work to show how true power lies not in making laws, but in suspending them. We then unpack Giorgio Agamben's most famous concept, Homo Sacer, and explain the terrifying distinction between political life (Bios) and "bare life" (Zoē). You'll learn how modern biopolitics aims to reduce citizens to manageable biological data points.
Furthermore, we explore how the logic of "the camp"—a space outside the law—has expanded from historical anomalies into our everyday lives, from airport security zones to the very structure of the internet and surveillance capitalism. We analyze how perpetual crisis, from the War on Terror to global health emergencies, is used to justify this silent erosion of rights. This analysis by Giorgio Agamben is more relevant than ever. If you want to understand the invisible architecture of control shaping your world, this exploration of Agamben's work is essential viewing.
