CHUM 23A01 - Thanatology of Empire: Perspectives on Necropolitics

s empire dead? What is the relationship between death and imperial forms of domination? This humanities course aims to answer this question through the study and discussion of works in political philosophy, critical theory, postcolonial and decolonial studies, and posthumanism. This course is an attempt to academically travel through time and space, exploring how imperialism persists as a living-dead force – a necro force – in modern and contemporary history. We will delve into social issues and decolonial thinking, constantly dialoguing with critical theory and philosophies to challenge both our Eurocentric and Anthropocentric perspectives.

Designed as a seminar elective for second-year BA students, this course aims to introduce these topics in an accessible way, focusing on key concepts and definitions while examining different theoretical approaches to empire, its contemporary transformations, and the central role of death in imperial forms of domination. Students will be encouraged to reconsider Western epistemologies, amplify the voices of the Global South, question periphery-making worldviews, and critique imperial hierarchies that define the “Orient” and the “Third World”, and imagine post-imperial worlds.

The first part of this course introduces the conceptual framework through which “empire” will be analyzed. The second will introduce ideas on imperial violence, viewing them through the lens of biopolitics and necropolitics which take shape through material and cultural forms of imperial domination. The third part will explore different theoretical and practical responses to the question: “what is there after empire?”

Seminar format. The content is based on the main readings of each week. The idea here is also to foster democratic class discussion, composed of active dialogue and eventual written activities.

Class participation (engaging in our discussions, activities, and presentations) 60%

End of term research project, which includes a presentation of your project, few deadlines for development of your project, and you will be required to discuss your ideas at least once with each teacher during the semester. Commitment with deadlines will be particularly crucial for your grade (40%).