On Giorgio Agamben's Homo Sacer and Sacred Aesthetics
The notion of homo sacer serves as a core notion in Agamben's philosophy and aesthetics,yet its origins and implications remain ambiguous.Homo sacer is both"holy"and accursed,embodying a paradox where his killing is permitted but his sacrifice is forbidden.This paper argue that a cultural anthropological perspective is essential for fully elucidating the complexity of homo sacer.Firstly,the dual nature of homo sacer can be traced back to the merging of rituals involving killing the homo sacer and the scapegoat in ancient festivals such as Nunatsia Saturnalia and Bacchanalia.Secondly,the licitness to kill the sacred man lies in the agricultural tradition of sacrificing homo sacer to symbolize death and renewal of life,as well as in the belief that the king of Saturnalia,if failing to fulfill his duties,could be killed by profane laws.Thirdly,the coexistence of the sacred and profane in homo sacer originates from the portrayal of the Saturnalia king as both a sacred figure and a jester,with the core ritual of the festival revolving both sacred coronation and profane dethronement.Thus,the profaning of the sacred is an integral part of the Saturnalia rites.Aesthetically,profanation takes the form of parody,while sacred mimicry serves as the basis and means for the birth of ancient drama and art.
homo sacersacred aestheticsSaturnaliaprofanationparody
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