Modern totalitarianism can be defined as the establishment, by means of the state of exception, of a legal civil war that allows for the physical elimination not only of political adversaries but of entire categories of citizens who for some reason cannot be integrated into the political system
Interpretation
The quote discusses how modern totalitarianism creates a legal framework to justify the suppression and elimination of dissenting individuals and groups.
In this quote, Giorgio Agamben reflects on the nature of modern totalitarianism by asserting that it uses a state of exception—a legal condition that suspends normal laws—to enable a form of civil war. This radical political framework allows for not only the repression of political opposition but also the removal of entire groups of people deemed incompatible with the prevailing political order, thus highlighting the dangers of a legal system that can justify extreme measures against perceived threats.
In practice
In a speech addressing the dangers of authoritarianism, one might reference this quote to emphasize the need for vigilance against the erosion of civil rights.
To believe that will has power over potentiality, that the passage to actuality is the result of a decision that puts an end to the ambiguity of potentiality (which is always potentiality to do and not to do) — this is the perpetual illusion of morality.
Remembrance restores possibility to the past, making what happened incomplete and completing what never was. Remembrance is neither what happened nor what did not happen but, rather, their potentialization, their becoming possible once again.
One day humanity will play with law just as children play with disused objects, not in order to restore them to their canonical use but to free them from it for good.
Death is woven in with the violets,” said Louis. “Death and again death.”)
When life tends to get too complex, too fast, too cluttered, too deadline oriented, or too type A for you, stop and remember your own spirit. You're headed for inspiration, a simple, peaceful place where you're in harmony with the perfect timing of all creation.
You must find your treasure in order to make sense of everything you discovered on the path.
We tell ourselves stories in order to live...We look for the sermon in the suicide, for the social or moral lesson in the murder of five. We interpret what we see, select the most workable of the multiple choices. We live entirely, especially if we are writers, by the imposition of a narrative line upon disparate images, by the "ideas" with which we have learned to freeze the shifting phantasmagoria which is our actual experience.
I think a lot of self-importance is a product of fear. And fear, living in sort of an un-self-examined fear-based life, tends to lead to narcissism and self-importance.
The afterlife looks different to every soul," he said, "depending on whatthey believe. For that guy, Egypt must've made a strong impression when he was young , maybe." "And if someone doesn't believe in any afterlife?" i asked. Walt gave me a sad look. "Then that's what they experience.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.