Biopolitics as the “Fifth Character” in the Process of Humanity Editing

Abstract

At the end of the XIX — the beginning of the XX century under the influence of the ideas of K. Schmitt, G. Le Bon, G. Tarde, S. Freud, R. Kjellen and F. Galton intellectual discourses of political theology, mass psychology, geopolitics, and eugenics are gaining popularity. Each of these trends has a tremendous impact on the political and social life of the 1st half of the XX century. Political theology edits the beliefs and ideals of the age, mass psychology edits social relations, geopolitics edits the boundaries and physical space of the population, and eugenics claims to transform the very nature of man. If, in accordance with the canon of dramatic art, there are four main characters of the events of the era, then political theology should be assigned the status of a Hero, mass psychology — a Heroine, geopolitics and eugenics — Confidante and Villain (in the mask of the Savior). The key to clarifying historical conflicts is the Fifth character — biopolitics, the initiator, inspirer and hidden censor of these theoretical discourses, which have become the drivers of humankind editing practices. At the turn of the XX–XXI centuries, under the influence of biopolitics, political theology is transformed into biotheology, mass psychology — into biolaw, geopolitics — into biocapitalism, eugenics — into biotechnology. Together, these factors, expressing the biotheological hopes of the biopower, drive humankind towards the utopia of an eternal world based on eternal values in a state of eternal walfare for an ever-living person.