![]() ![]() ![]() The state of exception is often enacted under the paradoxical pretence of suspending laws and rights to ensure their protection, so they may be reinstated once normality is restored. This suspension has many different names-the ’state of siege’ in France or ‘martial law’ in Canada-but they are all fundamentally the same thing, a state of exception. ![]() In instances of national crisis, such as natural disasters or war, governments suspend the law to maintain order. The state of exception allows for a unique interaction between sovereign nations and their laws. Agamben demonstrates that the state of exception has become the norm in contemporary political life. Finally, a critique of Agamben’s understanding of the relationship between the state of exception and totalitarianism will be discussed. We will explore Agamben’s claim that the state of exception is becoming the norm through his description of the camp as well as its use as a preventative measure. The work of Carl Schmitt and Walter Benjamin deepens our understanding of the connection between the sovereign and the state of exception. ![]() A brief description of what the state of exception is and why it is implemented will ground this essay. This essay will discuss his thinking regarding the ‘state of exception’. Giorgio Agamben is one of the 21 st century’s most influential philosophers. ![]()
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