Empowerment: The Theory and Practice of Political Genealogy

One of the most promising developments in social and political theory in recent years is the research being done in the field of “political genealogy.” Scholars employing political genealogy as a methodology represent a wide range of disciplines, from the social sciences to the humanities, from philosophy to geography to urban studies to cultural theory. Yet there has never been a comprehensive study of political genealogy itself. Empowerment: The Theory and Practice of Political Genealogy lays the groundwork for the recognition of political genealogy as a methodology and model of theoretical inquiry, one that will be taken up by scholars from a broad range of academic disciplines. Along the way, it critically assesses some of the best examples of work in political genealogy, showing how this work forces us to rethink many of the key concepts in political theory, such as sovereignty, representation, and violence. In helping us to understand the history of our present, it looks to our future and to what being a political subject will look like in a post-representational world.