Critical Theory Reading Group

The Critical Theory Reading Group is an informal gathering of staff and postgraduate research students from UNSW and other universities which meets every fortnight to discuss a set text. The current set of readings focuses upon the topic of ‘biopolitics’ in the work of the French philosopher and social theorist Michel Foucault and follows its subsequent development in the work of a number of other theorists. If you are interested in attending the group, or obtaining copies of the readings, please contact Ben Golder on b.golder@unsw.edu.au

Wednesday, 18 March. Readings:

• Michel Foucault, The Will to Knowledge: History of Sexuality, Vol 1, trans. Robert Hurley (Penguin ed.), pp. 135-59 (Part 5, 'Right of Death and Power over Life')
• Michel Foucault, 'Society Must be Defended': Lectures at the College de France, 1975-76, trans. David Macey (Penguin/Allen Lane ed.), pp. 239-63 (Lecture 11)
• Michel Foucault, Security, Territory, Population: Lectures at the College de France, 1977-78, trans. Graham Burchell (Palgrave Macmillan ed.), pp. 87-114 (Lecture 4)

Wednesday, 1 April. Readings:

• Michel Foucault, The Birth of Biopolitics: Lectures at the College de France, 1978-79, trans. Graham Burchell (Palgrave Macmillan ed.), pp. 27-73 (Lectures 2 and 3)

Wednesday, 15 April. Readings:

• Hannah Arendt, The Human Condition (Anchor Books ed.), pp. 13-18; 23-45; 60-64

Wednesday, 29 April. Readings:

• Giorgio Agamben, Homo Sacer: Sovereign Power and Bare Life, trans. Daniel Heller-Roazen (Stanford Uni ed.), pp. 1-12; 87-90; 119-35; 181-188

Wednesday, 20 May. Readings:

• Walter Benjamin, ‘Critique of Violence’, in Reflections: Essays, Aphorisms, Autobiographical Writings (Schoeken ed.), pp. 277-300.

Wednesday, 22 July. Readings:

• Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, Empire (Harvard UP ed.), pp. 22-4 (‘Biopolitical Production’)
  Antonio Negri, Empire and Beyond, trans. Emory (Polity ed.), pp. 169-83; 225-32.

Wednesday, 9 September. Readings:

• Nikolas Rose, The Politics of Life Itself (Princeton Uni ed.), pp. 1-8; 106-30
  Paul Rabinow and Nikolas Rose, ‘Biopower Today’ (2006) 1 Biosocieties 195-217