Giorgio Agamben: The Idea of Justice and the Uses of Legal Criticism

This book provides a thorough introduction to, and engagement with, the jurisprudential, political and philosophical thought of the influential Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben.Critically introducing Agamben's work to both a readership in legal theory, and in the humanities and social sciences more generally, Zartaloudis takes up the three main themes of Agamben's recent work: Power (in its relation to bio-politics, capitalism, social systems, control and political theory); Law (in its relation to philosophy, violence, rights, states of exception and sovereignty); and Humanity (in its relation to theories of ethics, the idea of the human, human rights discourse and the condition of refugees).Zartoloudis argues, however, that an adequate understanding of Agamben's work in these more political areas requires an attention to his earlier philosophical writings on language, power and time. It is, then, an introduction to, and discussion of, these themes that takes up the second part of this book; through which, in conclusion, the author describes a distinctly Agambenian account of the relationship between justice and critique.Zartaloudis, Thanos is the author of 'Giorgio Agamben: The Idea of Justice and the Uses of Legal Criticism', published 2009 under ISBN 9780415440226 and ISBN 041544022X.