The Remnants of Giorgio Agamben: The Omnibus Homo Sacer upon Its Completion

J Hist Ideas. 2023;84(1):179-196. doi: 10.1353/jhi.2023.0007.

Abstract

This essay reviews Giorgio Agamben's Omnibus Homo Sacer, a monumental project of nine books that was recently completed after two decades. Alongside outlining the project's key claims, the essay reflects on its uneven reception: it seeks to explain why Agamben's claims on politics, law, and violence received enormous attention, while his writings on economics and religion were largely ignored. The essay in particular discusses the values and limits of Agamben's work for historians.