Biopower

 

 

According to Foocau, a person's sense of self is shaped over time by the power dynamics present in the discourses they are part of. The concept of biopower, as explained by Foocau, refers to the control and regulation of human life at both the population and individual levels. This form of power is directed at entire populations and individual bodies. It helps to link identity with power, illustrating how societal categories can be used to justify and permit state violence against certain individuals.

 

Biopower can be understood in two interconnected ways: disciplinary power, which focuses on shaping individual bodies through institutions like schools, prisons, and hospitals, aiming to make bodies more manageable and adaptable. On the other hand, biopolitical power is concerned with managing the lives of entire populations, striving to optimize the overall well-being. These two aspects categorize people as either 'normal' or 'abnormal' in the eyes of the state.

 

In the 18th century, classical liberal theorists believed that power mainly operated through legal means, involving rules, prohibitions, and punishments by official institutions. However, Foucault challenges this view, suggesting that in the 17th century, a new form of power emerged known as 'biopower.' Unlike the traditional power focused on taking or sparing lives, biopower is concerned with fostering or restricting life to the point of death.

 

This doesn't mean that legal power diminishes; rather, it coexists and intertwines with biopower. State violence is not only legitimized through legal strategies but also through a focus on how the population lives and how life can be optimized. This is evident in the 18th-century state's management of aspects like birth, death, health, disease, 'race,' and sexuality to enhance life.

 

Biopower enables the state to create social categories and shape a society conforming to norms that support a 'vital population' — a community aligning with the state's desired form. Those who conform to societal norms are supported, while those labeled 'abnormal' may face disinvestment and, through legal power, even death. This normalization process generates 'the Other,' individuals outside the societal norms, which may vary based on dominant discourses.

 

Importantly, biopower operates not only in official institutions but permeates all social relations and discourses. It means individuals are not just subjected to power; they also contribute to its production and direction within the broader social order.