The Work of Giorgio Agamben: Law, Literature, Life

Giorgio Agamben has emerged, in the past five years, as one of the most important continental philosophers. This burgeoning popularity of his work has largely been confined to a study of the homo sacer series. Yet these later 'political' writings have their foundation in Agamben's earlier works on the philosophy of language, aesthetics and literature. From a philosophy of language and linguistics that leads to a broader theory of representation, Agamben develops a critical theory that attempts to explore the hiatuses and paradoxes that govern discursive practice across a broad range of disciplines.
Gathering some of the most important established and emerging scholars to examine his body of work, this collection of essays seeks to explore Agamben's thought from these broader philosophical and literary concerns, underpinning its place within larger debates in continental philosophy.

Justin Clemens is Senior Lecturer in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne.

Nicholas Heron is currently completing his PhD in the Department of English at the University of Melbourne.
Alex Murray is Lecturer in English at the University of Exeter.