Neo-Despotism as Anti-Despotism

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Date

2021

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Sage Publications

Open Access Color

OpenAIRE Downloads

OpenAIRE Views

Research Projects

Organizational Units

Journal Issue

Abstract

I treat despotism as a virtual concept. Thus it is necessary to expose its actualizations even when it appears as its opposite, refusing to recognize itself as despotism. I define despotism initially as arbitrary rule, in terms of a monstrous transgression of the law. But since the monster is grounded in its very formlessness, it cannot be demonstrated. However, one can always try to de-monstrate it through disagreements. In doing this, I deal with despotism not as a solipsistic undertaking but as part of a constellation that always already contains two other elements: economy and voluntary servitude. I give three different – ancient, early modern and late modern – accounts of this nexus, demonstrating how despotism continuously takes on new appearances. I conclude, in a counter-classical prism, how the classical nexus has evolved in modernity while the focus gradually shifted towards another triangulation: neo-despotism, use and dissent.

Description

Keywords

Despotism, Free will, Neo-despotism, Securitization, Voluntary servitude

Turkish CoHE Thesis Center URL

Fields of Science

Citation

1

WoS Q

Q1

Scopus Q

Q1

Source

Volume

Issue

Start Page

End Page