Biopolitical Subjectivity : from Foucault to Italian Theory

In this project I’ll try to brighten the question of biopolitics and political subjectivity, through critical analysis in the form of a genealogy of the present phenomenon of contemporary biopolitics. The object of the research is to do comparative analysis of biopolitical theories in the post-modern era, of Giorgio Agamben, Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, and Roberto Esposito. Through reference works, which in the past years attracted the attention of political theorists, and which are based on Foucault's analysis of neoliberalism, we’ll try to examine the adequacy of Foucault's responses to the problem of establishing neoliberal subjectivity and endeavour to analyse explanations of further development of neoliberalism which was made by elaborating his concepts. In the first part, it will be discussed the relation between different conceptions of biopolitics in Foucault and Agamben and the issues related to the question of possibilities of new subjectivity. I will problematize the view that Agamben's ethic of a happy life faces difficulties within himself, and strive to show that Agamben`s theory proves inadequate to lay the foundations for ethics and politics. On the other hand, we will show that precisely possibilities of different interpretations of Foucault's approach offer the intertwining of politics, ethics and philosophy. The question arises as to whether here appears a basis for speaking of some kind of new humanistic discourse. In the second part, I will consider the theoretical and practical conception of biopolitics in Antonio Negri and Michael Hardt, as they are exposed foremost in "Empire and Multitude". The concept of `multitude` as the new political subjectivity will show how different understanding of biopolitics can combine and identify the crisis of political categories. The relation between one and multitude will be analyzed as a foundation for understanding the many facets of Hart`s and Negri`s standpoint. I will question the possibility of democratic sovereignty which arise in their book, along with reconsideration and rejection of this possibility; the attitude that the multitude is an alternative to the state will turn out to be problematic in both theoretical and practical terms. Futhermore, I will question Esposito’s approach to biopolitics, his deconstruction of political philosophy and development of genealogical research where immunization is a key term. Through analysis of his views on modern political philosophy, the theologico-political dispositive of personhood in relation to violent immunization, and elaboration of philosophy of the third person or Impersonal, it will be reviewed his critique of Foucault’s notion of life. The purpose of this research, therefore, is to outline the political notion of biopolitics in theories of the main representatives of Italian theory, Agamben, Hardt and Negri, as well as Esposito, in relation to Foucault, while attempting at least to sketch contemporary phenomena of biopolitics and show new possibilities of reading Foucault`s deliberation of biopolitics.