Bringing the philosophies of Michel Foucault and
Georges Canguilhem into dialogue, Federico Testa examines the notions of life
and norms underlying our modern experience of politics.
Today’s global health crisis
acts as a stark reminder that life is at the core of our political debates
and dilemmas. We can no longer think of forms of political organization,
citizenship and participation without considering the materiality and
precarity of our own organic life. Ours is a politics of the living.
Within
this context, this book examines Foucault’s work on the politicization of
life and biopolitics through the lens of Canguilhem’s notion of norms. Testa
extracts from Canguilhem’s philosophy the conceptual tools to re-interpret
Foucault’s ideas on power, and reconceptualises normativity as a process of
the creation of norms that provide tools for political and social analysis
and for thinking resistance. In so doing, he uncovers new and important possibilities
for biopolitical resistance.
Demonstrating not only Canguilhem’s
underexplored social and political concerns but also the intellectual osmosis
between the two thinkers, On the
Politics of the Living is an urgent examination of the ever-increasing significance
of the concepts of life, care and health in today’s political
discourse.
By:
Federico Testa (University of East Anglia UK)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Spine: 25mm
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781350299283
ISBN 10: 1350299286
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 15 May 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
College/higher education
,
Undergraduate
,
Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
"Introduction: Foucault, Canguilhem and the Power of Life Part I: Foucault and the Politics of Life 1. Problematizing Life: From ‘Biopower’ to ‘Way of Life’ 2. From Foucault to Canguilhem Part II: Life and Norms in Canguilhem 3. Canguilhem, Philosopher 4. The Normal and the Pathological 5. Vital Normativity, Disease and Health Part III: Foucault and the Power of Norms 6. The Power of Norms 7. Foucault and the ""Archaeology of Normalizing Power"" 8. The Functioning of the Norm 9. Normativity and the Arts of Life Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index"
Federico Testa is Lecturer in Sociology and Humanites at Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, UK. He is the translator and co-editor of The Selected Writings of Pierre Hadot (with M. Sharpe, Bloomsbury, 2020) and Jean-Marie Guyau’s The Ethics of Epicurus (with K. Ansell-Pearson, Bloomsbury, 2021).
Reviews for On the Politics of the Living: Foucault and Canguilhem on Life and Norms
Federico Testa has written a masterful book. By shedding light on the Foucault-Canguilhem relationship, he provides us with new conceptual tools to address crucial issues such as the politicization of life and the ambiguous nature of the norm as both a normalizing and a creative force. Read it—you won’t be disappointed! * Daniele Lorenzini, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, USA *
