On a Downward Spiral

The notions of the state of exception and state of emergency have played an important role in 20th century political philosophy. In spite of this, neither has been surveyed critically in the contemporary context, and their interrelation has been under-elaborated by their originators, Carl Schmitt and Walter Benjamin, and the thinkers that came after them. I set out to establish the connection between the emergency and exception, subsequently transposing these concepts onto our times: revealing how they are manifest phenomenally and whether their structure has changed since the early 20th century. Consequently, the viability of emancipatory practices of the past is re-evaluated, and their inadequacy to address the contemporary emergency is addressed.