Description
POLITICS OF ENMITY (N.E.)
Book Summary
In this incisive essay, Achille Mbembe examines the relationship of hostility that is spreading and reconfiguring on a global scale. Drawing on themes from his previous works, the author diagnoses an original violence from which democracies cannot detach themselves, a force that corrupts freedom and drags it toward decomposition. Drawing on the work of Frantz Fanon, Mbembe shows how war, under the guises of conquest and occupation, has become the sacrament of our era. A highly topical book that compels us to question the links between violence and legality, the state of war, security, and freedom.
What is it about?
The book explores how the figure of the enemy has become a central pillar of contemporary politics. Mbembe argues that there is a fundamental hostility that is not a historical accident, but a constitutive condition of modern political life. Through an analysis that crosses political philosophy, history, and psychoanalysis, the author traces how colonial violence and the decolonization processes of the 20th century have shaped a global order where permanent war is normalized. The work examines how liberal democracies, instead of overcoming this logic, reproduce it internally, creating states of exception that suspend rights in the name of security. Mbembe asks whether it is possible to imagine a politics that is not founded on the designation of an enemy, or if enmity is an inevitable destiny of life in common.
Main themes
- The relationship between hostility and politics as a foundation of social life.
- War as a sacrament of the contemporary era and its normalization.
- The colonial legacy and the processes of decolonization in the configuration of the global order.
- The tension between violence, legality, and rights in liberal democracies.
- The thought of Frantz Fanon as a tool for understanding conflict and liberation.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at readers interested in political philosophy, critical theory, and social sciences. It is especially relevant for those seeking to understand the dynamics of power, conflict, and violence in today's world, as well as for those who follow the thought of Achille Mbembe and the debates on post-colonialism and democracy.
What this book contributes
- A deep theoretical framework for understanding how the figure of the enemy structures global politics.
- An updated reading of the work of Frantz Fanon applied to 21st-century conflicts.
- Critical tools for analyzing the relationship between security, freedom, and the rule of law.
- An original perspective on the original violence that underlies modern democracies.
Technical specifications
- Author: Mbembe, Achille
- Publisher: Ned Ediciones
- Language: Spanish
- Subject: Philosophy, Social and Political Philosophy
- Collection: Huellas y señales
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: November 2025
- Number of pages: 192
- Weight: 274 g
Editorial review
This new edition of "Politics of Enmity" cements Achille Mbembe's position as one of the most lucid voices in contemporary critical thought. The book offers a rigorous and accessible analysis of how hostility has become an engine of global politics, without falling into simplifications. Its value lies in its ability to connect colonial heritage with current dilemmas of security and freedom, providing the reader with conceptual tools to interrogate the present. An essential work for anyone seeking to understand the philosophical roots of the conflicts that define our era.