Driving in Almaty: Ironic Perspectives on Domestic Anarchical Society

Abstract

Frigerio proposes an ironic analysis of the relationships between drivers in Almaty as a tool for reframing political theory starting from Kazakhstan. Focusing on contractarianism, exceptionalism, and resilience, the chapter shows how the interactions between the mecha-citizens of this state of (non)nature seem to be characterized by evolutionary norms generated by dynamic power relationships and local irrationalities. Finally, arguing against the risks of a privatizing authoritarianism generated by the frameworks of an exceptionalist neoliberalism based on resilience and a perfectionist governance based on technologies, Frigerio concludes suggesting a political theory defined by the irony of domestic anarchical society