Education, biopolitics and experience from Giorgio Agamben

Abstract

The main objective of this article is to show that certain theses by the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben, especially his arguments about Western biopolitical sovereignty, loss of experience and the idea of use, are relevant in order to reflect on some unthinking limitations and possibilities of educational institution. To this end, some of the core ideas of his books Homo sacer, The Kingdom and the Glory, Infancy and History and The Use of Bodies are presented. Finally, it is suggested a possible use of Agamben's theses to enrich the sense of educational activity. This article presupposes the conviction that abstract and critical philosophical arguments can be useful to contribute to perfecting institutions such as education because they provide a perspective that transcends the legitimate requirements and responsibilities that demand merely instrumental solutions.