Introduction to Contemporary Italian Thought

Over the past three decades, Italian thought has emerged as a major field within continental philosophy. But what are the latest developments since Italian theory rose to a peak of popularity in the 2000s? This book offers an accessible and incisive introduction to contemporary Italian thought, revealing above all its continued relevance to some of the most pressing political, social and ethical conflicts today. Broadening the idea of Italian thought beyond biopolitics and Giorgio Agamben's Homo Sacer series, An Introduction to Contemporary Italian Thought engages with a number of leading philosophers, including Silvia Federici, Rosi Braidotti and Paolo Virno. In doing so, it demonstrates how Italian theory resonates in a wide variety of current debates, from digital technology, pandemics and populism to war, environmentalism and decolonization. This not only uncovers the fruitfulness of Italian philosophy but further allows for fresh perspectives on debates dominated by well-trodden and often dated arguments. In consideration of populism, for instance, this book does not examine the merits and faults of Donald Trump but rather turns to Silvio Berlusconi and Matteo Salvini, just as discussion of the digitization of work looks beyond Silicon Valley to EU regulations of digital technology and working conditions in the Global South. Tackling head-on the complex and porous notion of what constitutes 'Italian thought' in the Introduction, authors Christiaens, De Bloois and De Cauwer bring new understanding to contemporary Italian theory and, with it, novel perspectives on current critical issues.