PGC2020
Thomas Teo: Necropolitics, Subhumans and Neoliberal Mentality
It is argued that the Western world is moving into an increasing acceptance of fascist thinking and doing. Briefly discussing what that statement could mean in the COVID-19 crisis, and emphasizing an analysis based on the concept of necropolitics (Mbembe, 2003), the question who is disposable and dieable in the world and in a society, the actuality and modernity of fascist mentality is shown in the context of migration. Based on critical-theoretical analyses (Teo, 2020) it is argued that the division of humanity into humans and subhumans has re-emerged as an ontology that is flexible and malleable. Processes of subhumanization, the sources of subhumanism, and the relationship of subhumanism and racism are debated. It is argued that subhumanism as a fascist affective-symbolic mentality is engendered by the assumption that resources are insufficient to meet everyone’s needs, which plays an important role in neoliberal capitalism. Finally, it is argued that psychological treatments are insufficient to combat the rise of neo-fascist mental life.
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