The Human Voice

Giorgio Agamben, Thomas Haskell Simpson

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Hardback

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English

Seagull Books London Ltd
05 November 2025

Philosophy of language; Philosophy of mind; Social & political philosophy

Series: The Italian List

An inquiry into the origins of language and articulation, exploring how the transformation of the human voice shaped history, politics, and thought.

What does it mean to have a voice—and how does it shape what it means to be human? In The Human Voice, Giorgio Agamben embarks on a profound exploration of how the human voice transforms from mere sound into meaningful articulation, setting humans apart from the animal world. Tracing this transformation through ancient grammar and the history of writing, he unpacks the intricate relationship between voice and language, and the living being and the speaking subject.

Through a meticulous philosophical inquiry, Agamben reconstructs the mechanisms by which articulation turns expression into knowledge, revealing how the voice is the way we define humanity. This study reaches beyond linguistics, touching on politics and history, as it interrogates the enduring question of what—and who—is considered fully human.

By: Giorgio Agamben
Translated by: Thomas Haskell Simpson
Imprint: Seagull Books London Ltd
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 197mm, Width: 140mm,
Weight: 454g
ISBN: 9781803095417
ISBN 10: 1803095415
Series: The Italian List
Pages: 120
Publication Date: 05 November 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Giorgio Agamben is a philosopher and writer whose works have been translated and studied worldwide. The Italian List series includes several of Agamben’s recent works. Thomas Haskell Simpson is associate professor in the Department of French and Italian at Northwestern University and a translator of many works from Italian. He has translated the works of Giorgio Agamben, Carlo Ginzburg, and Gianni Carchia.