Agamben's Philosophical Trajectory

Adam Kotsko teaches in the Shimer Great Books School at North Central College, Chicago. He is the author of The Prince of This World: The Life and Legacy of the Devil (Stanford University Press, 2016), Creepiness (Zero Books, 2015), Why We Love Sociopaths: A Guide to Late Capitalist Television (Zero Books, 2012), Awkwardness: An Essay (Zero Books, 2010), Politics of Redemption: The Social Logic of Salvation (Continuum, 2010), Zizek and Theology (Continuum, 2008). He is co-author of Agamben’s Coming Philosophy: Finding a New Use for Theology (Rowman & Littlefield, 2015).

• Introduction: Living With Agamben; 1. Becoming Agamben; 2. Taking on the Political; 3. In Search of a Method; 4. Abandoning the Project; 5. Late Labors; Conclusion: An Archaeology of Agamben; Bibliography; Abbreviations for Works of Agamben; Other Works Cited; Index.

Adam Kotsko’s new book, Agamben’s Philosophical Trajectory, does a masterful job of weaving together a narrative of Agamben’s work as a whole while consciously avoiding the trap of treating Agamben’s 60-year career as possessing an impossible consistency. While this book was not written as an introduction to Agamben, its comprehensive and chronological coverage of his oeuvre means that it can serve as a fantastic starting point for those new to the often extremely challenging thinker. At the same time, it can work as a means for those who are familiar with some of Agamben’s writings to get a grasp on his wider project. Even those well-versed in Agamben’s political theory, for instance, will benefit from Kotsko’s discussion of Agamben’s earlier writings.