This book argues that power relations are best understood through a war model, not a legal one. It defines two key forms of power: disciplinary power, which trains bodies through surveillance and punishment, and biopower, which acts on populations, the biological, and living beings. By examining discourse on racial war and historical narratives of conquerors, Foucault traces the lineage of biopower and state racism. The relationship between power and resistance is strategic, not juridical.
The analysis reveals how power operates to shape both individual bodies and entire populations, leading to an understanding of state racism as a consequence of biopower. Readers will learn about the strategic, rather than legal, nature of power and resistance, and the historical development of these distinct forms of power.
Key concepts
- 规训权力 (Disciplinary Power) — Power that trains bodies through surveillance techniques and punishment systems.
- 生命权力 (Biopower) — Power that acts on populations, the biological, and living beings.
- 战争模式 (War Model) — An analytical framework for understanding power relations.
- 权力与抵抗之间的逻辑关系 (Logical Relationship between Power and Resistance) — Described as strategic, not juridical.
- 国家种族主义 (State Racism) — A lineage traced from biopower and war discourse.