Against Mastery: Bare Lives, Hierarchy, and the (Attempted) Annihilation of Freedom

Abstract

Capitalist modernity leads to death in the form of the contraction of vital possibilities of most human beings. This has historically translated into what Giorgio Agamben calls bare life, i.e., life that is rendered killable because of its absolute exposure to sovereign power. Bare life stems from the will to master, which has historically led to hierarchy. Although not all empirical hierarchies lead to death, the potential to kill is inherent to the principle of hierarchy because it is based on domination. Since the root of bare life is found in the will to master, bare life is not exclusive to capitalist modernity, although it has been amplified in it due to the politicization of biological life. Thus, although opposing capitalist modernity is crucial to foster life, the fight for freedom and dignity needs to go beyond this goal and end the principle of hierarchy itself.