The psychological life of power - Judith Butler

Theories in Subjugation by Judith Butler ... This book begins with the issue of authority, then moves to the issue of the self subjected to a certain authority, attempting to reveal the contradiction inherent in the self that is subordinate to this authority on the one hand, and involved in the process of subjugation on the other. Judith Butler addresses the modern understanding of authority that invalidates the self and its psychological effects, and deals with authority as fixed, external to, and separate from the self. Butler reconnects the self to authority again, and explains the formation of the self through the contradictory process of subjugation that the self cannot escape from, remaining torn between its two sides, which remains the fundamental condition for the formation and existence of the self. Based on the works of Hegel and Nietzsche, Butler explains how morality and self-awareness are formed, and the relationship of this formation to guilt. Through referencing the works of Foucault and Althusser, she explores the complex relationship between authority and the perception of identity, and the connection between the psychological environment and the external space, where the boundaries between them disappear, and the voice of external authority interacts with the internal voice of the self. Then Butler expands on the psychological dimensions of authority, and through commenting on Freud’s texts, she demonstrates the role of loss and melancholy in the establishment of selves. Number of pages: 236 Year of publication: 2021 Publisher: Nino Publishing and Distribution House