What is Necropolitics? | Achille Mbembe | Keyword

Summary

In this video, David discusses the concept of 'necropolitics' by Achille Mbembe, contrasting it with Michel Foucault's 'biopolitics.' While biopolitics focuses on power's control over life, Mbembe's necropolitics addresses the ongoing occurrence of death and suffering, particularly in marginalized populations. David uses examples like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and historical slavery to illustrate how necropolitics reduces people to 'bare life,' making them expendable and susceptible to violence.

Takeaways

• 📚 The speaker is in the process of moving and mentions this as a reason for the empty bookshelf in the video.
• 🌍 They are relocating to Montreal with the expectation of being there full time in the new year.
• 📖 The main topic of discussion is 'Necropolitics', a term used by Achille Mbembe in response to Michel Foucault's concept of 'Biopolitics'.
• 🔍 Mbembe critiques Foucault's notion that power has shifted from sovereign power to biopower, arguing that death and suffering are still prevalent.
• 🏛 The concept of 'Necropolitics' or 'Necro power' is introduced as a way to account for the ongoing death and violence against certain populations.
• 👥 Mbembe points out that biopolitics only tells half the story, as it overlooks the death and destruction that continue to occur.
• 🔄 The historical context of Necropolitics is rooted in colonialism and the legacy of slavery, which reduced people to 'bare life'.
• 🏙️ 'Death worlds' are described as places where populations are reduced to a state of living death, with no purpose other than mere existence.
• 🕍 The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is cited as a contemporary example of Necropolitics, where Palestinians are reduced to a state of constant vulnerability.
• 📊 Necropower is characterized by statistical perfection in its tactics to end lives, contrasting with the more overt displays of power in sovereign times.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video script?

The main topic of the video script is 'necropolitics', which is Achille Mbembe's concept used to critique and extend Michel Foucault's notion of 'biopolitics'.

Why is the speaker's bookshelf empty in the video?

The speaker's bookshelf is empty because they are in the process of moving and had to pack away their books.

Where is the speaker moving to?

The speaker is moving to Montreal, with the hope of being there full time by the new year.

What is biopolitics according to Foucault?

Biopolitics, as described by Michel Foucault, is a form of power that focuses on controlling populations and bodies rather than simply exerting the power to take lives.

How does Mbembe's concept of necropolitics differ from Foucault's biopolitics?

Necropolitics, as proposed by Achille Mbembe, is a response to biopolitics that accounts for the ongoing death and suffering that still occurs, particularly in contexts of war, colonialism, and slavery.

What does Mbembe mean by 'death worlds'?

Mbembe refers to 'death worlds' as spaces or contexts where populations are reduced to a state of bare life, making them vulnerable to death or a living death.

How does the speaker describe the transition from sovereign power to biopower?

The speaker describes the transition from sovereign power to biopower as a shift from a focus on the power to kill to a focus on controlling and proliferating life.

What is the role of institutions in biopolitics?

Institutions play a role in biopolitics by controlling populations through mechanisms such as reproductive rights, racial logics, and other forms of governance that appear benevolent but are not.

Why is Mbembe critical of Foucault's biopolitics?

Mbembe is critical of Foucault's biopolitics because it does not fully account for the continued violence and death experienced by certain populations, particularly in the context of colonialism and slavery.

How does Mbembe illustrate the concept of necropolitics?

Mbembe illustrates necropolitics through examples such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and historical events like the Holocaust, where certain populations are reduced to a state of bare life and made vulnerable to death.

What is the significance of reducing people to 'bare life' in necropolitics?

Reducing people to 'bare life' in necropolitics signifies a state where individuals are stripped of their humanity and made expendable, making it easier for them to be subjected to violence and death.