"To be dead is an unthinkable anomaly" Reversed Necropolitics and the Death Imaginary
Journal
Sguardo-Rivista di Filosofia
Date Issued
January 12, 2017
Author(s)
Abstract
The concept or the theory of Death in the thought of Jean Baudrillard is not given the
particular attention it needs. When one speaks of the thought of Baudrillard, one rarely will
mention ‘death’ as one of the keywords of his corpus. I think, though, that it deserves such
a key place, for three reasons. Firstly, because the theme of Death is a gargantuan concept in
the history of Philosophy and it even emerges with the definition of Philosophy itself, since, at
least, Plato. Every philosopher, more or less is preoccupied with it, as an archetypical necessity
of both human culture and of philosophy in particular. It is always interesting to see how each
philosopher or each person thinks on it, as their thoughts on Death are a departure point and
an indication of their whole philosophical system or, for non-philosophers, of their whole way
of life. Secondly, it is important to examine this theme in Baudrillard because it inseparably
interconnects, explains, and is explained by all the other, key, and the less prominent themes in
his philosophy (if it is possible to divide themes in the corpus of a philosopher in such a way).
Baudrillard’s thinking might take new dimensions when viewed through his thoughts on
Death. Finally, Baudrillard is considered a difficult thinker, because, unlike other philosophers,
he grasps themes which people are used to seeing as the pre-occupation or within the realm of
fiction, even science-fiction (robots, clones, hyper-reality – The Matrix film). I would like to
show, using simple language, that his philosophy, especially surrounding the subject of Death,
is completely naked of any metaphysical, romanticised, fantastic, or fiction-like properties; it
is realistic and political.
particular attention it needs. When one speaks of the thought of Baudrillard, one rarely will
mention ‘death’ as one of the keywords of his corpus. I think, though, that it deserves such
a key place, for three reasons. Firstly, because the theme of Death is a gargantuan concept in
the history of Philosophy and it even emerges with the definition of Philosophy itself, since, at
least, Plato. Every philosopher, more or less is preoccupied with it, as an archetypical necessity
of both human culture and of philosophy in particular. It is always interesting to see how each
philosopher or each person thinks on it, as their thoughts on Death are a departure point and
an indication of their whole philosophical system or, for non-philosophers, of their whole way
of life. Secondly, it is important to examine this theme in Baudrillard because it inseparably
interconnects, explains, and is explained by all the other, key, and the less prominent themes in
his philosophy (if it is possible to divide themes in the corpus of a philosopher in such a way).
Baudrillard’s thinking might take new dimensions when viewed through his thoughts on
Death. Finally, Baudrillard is considered a difficult thinker, because, unlike other philosophers,
he grasps themes which people are used to seeing as the pre-occupation or within the realm of
fiction, even science-fiction (robots, clones, hyper-reality – The Matrix film). I would like to
show, using simple language, that his philosophy, especially surrounding the subject of Death,
is completely naked of any metaphysical, romanticised, fantastic, or fiction-like properties; it
is realistic and political.
Subjects
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