Life politics in the structures of individualized existence

The article is about modern society where the priority of the human rights over the citizen rights is established. The citizen rights set the limits on the existence of a social individual leaving only the natural right for life (zoe) which is realized in the sphere of personal needs. On the level of private life social individuals are divided into two categories: "homo sucer" and "homo sacer" differing by the scale of human rights realization in self-determination of their own lives. In modern society "homo sacer" is personalized by the "poor person", while "poverty" becomes the social state of everyday life pointing out the economic and social ineffectiveness of such people. The life of the poor person happens to be under control of the state power. The practice of steady and focused "watch" after the citizens who are "excluded" in the society is the system of panopticon (M. Foucault). "Clients of Social Services" delegate full responsibility for their social existence to the state power as the "Subject Supposingly Knowing" organizing their everyday life on the level of elementary needs. In modernity the alternative to "homo sacer" is the life of "homo sucer". The autonomy of "homo sucer" is realized within the limits of consumer freedom. Giving the priority to the private interests "homo sucer" voluntarily rejects active participation in the political life of the society. The ironic attitude to the political power keeps social individuals away from political life. New power technologies allowing the majority to watch over the minority are developed. The practice of directed "watching" of the majority of the society over the minority is the system of synopticon. Synopticon keeps the majority of the society at a distance allowing the society to watch only what is demonstrated by the Mass Media. Keeping the society away from political life gives freedom to the power. This allows acting for the benefits of this power. Social individuals' ironic attitude to the power does not affect the basis of this power but leads to its increasing influence on everyday life of individuals. The dependence of everyday life on political power decisions deprives an individual of the sense of safety and security. Individuals' striving for independence and self-government conduces the emerging of life that exists at the limit of legal certainty. The life of "refugees" is absolutely uncertain in legal terms (G. Agamben, Z. Bauman). The life of a "refugee" is similar to "banishment" as the limit state of social existence which at this borderline can be interpreted as "transition" beyond everyday immanence. The process of transcendence within immanence opens up thinking. Thinking helps to life politics to emerge as meaningful existence aware of the interrelation of politics and life.

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