The Biopolitics of StalinismIdeology and Life in Soviet Socialism
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About this book
The first book to investigate Soviet socialism from a biopolitical perspective
Western theories of biopolitics focus on its liberal and fascist rationalities. In opposition to this, Stalinism was oriented more towards transforming life in accordance with the communist ideal, and less towards protecting it.
Sergei Prozorov reconstructs this rationality in the early Stalinist project of the Great Break (1928–32) and its subsequent modifications during High Stalinism. He then relocates the question of biopolitics down to the level of the subject, tracing the way the ‘new Soviet person’ was to be produced in governmental practices and the role that violence and terror would play in this construction.
Key Features- Extracts Soviet socialism as a distinct strain of political theory, distinguishing it from the grab-bag of totalitarianism or a Russian deviation from ‘proper’ socialism
- Critically engages with the canonical theories of Michel Foucault, Giorgio Agamben and Roberto Esposito, and the new materialist theories of Michel Henry, Quentin Meillassoux and Catherine Malabou
- Analyses the origins of the postcommunist rehabilitation of Stalinism under Putin
- Develops a new concept of affirmative biopolitics, advancing current debates in political theory and philosophy
Reviews
This book provides a mostly convincing case for its argument. Unlike traditional biopolitical theory, which views the biopolitical modes of Stalinism and of Western rationality as similar, Prozorov finds distinctions between those two modes. In addition, he identifies the link between the Stalinist biopolitical mode and the destiny of Stalinism. Prozorov makes valuable points, providing a new perspective on Stalinist biopolitics.
A fascinating study. Prozorov is not only one of the most interesting scholars of 20th and 21st century Russia, but he’s able to engage with high theory in a readable and entertaining manner.
The Biopolitics of Stalinism is as lucid and usable as it is theoretically innovative. It draws connections from current issues in Soviet Studies to ongoing debates in philosophy and the social sciences … The Biopolitics of Stalinism is a necessary book for any scholar looking for a new perspective on Stalinism and its aftermath. It also heralds the possibility of an anarchist critique of biopolitical regimes, including of the Soviet system.
Table of contents
Preface; Introduction; 1 Postcommunist Stalinism: The Resurrection of the Effective Manager; 2 Stalinism in the Theory of Biopolitics: A Brief Genealogy of a Reticence; 3 The Great Break: Making Socialism Real; 4 High Stalinism: Retreat, Simulacrum, Terror; 5 Deathly Life: The Subject of Stalinism; 6 Shalamov, or the Negative Experience; 7 A Real Renewal of Life: Towards an Affirmative Biopolitics; Conclusion; Notes; Bibliography; Index.