The position of Social Insurance Institution in the perspective of „sovereignty” conception of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler Cover Image

A-podmiotowość władzy – mit i rzeczywistość, czyli Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych jako władza „suwerenna”
The position of Social Insurance Institution in the perspective of „sovereignty” conception of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler

Author(s): Arkadiusz Barut
Subject(s): Law, Constitution, Jurisprudence, Philosophy of Law, Philosophy of Law
Published by: Stowarzyszenie Filozofii Prawa i Filozofii Społecznej – Sekcja Polska IVR
Keywords: Social Insurance Institution; sovereignty; power; Michel Foucault; Judith Butler

Summary/Abstract: The subject of the article is the analysis of a specific feature of contemporary political and administrative power. As analytic categories the author uses Foucaultian concepts of power discourses: sovereignty: the type of individualized power which strives for self-conservation (pre-modern type of power) and governmentality – the type of non-individualized power the aims of which are control and management of the population (modern type of power). Contemporary power – the bureaucratic power described by M. Weber etc. – seems to be the type of governmentality. But in this field emerges a new type of sovereign power legitimized by the discourse of governmentality – management and protection of the population. Its examples are analysed by G. Agemben i J. Butler indefinite detention in Guantanamo. In this articles, the author focuses on symptoms of the new type of sovereignty in day-to day government action – the practice of the polish organ of compulsory social insurance – Social Insurance Institution (Zakład Ubezpieczeń Społecznych).

  • Issue Year: 11/2015
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 27-41
  • Page Count: 15
  • Language: Polish