The Evolution of Biopolitics in the Context of Capitalist Development
Biopolitical thought,rooted in the ancient Greek concepts of body and soul,underwent a transformative journey from its dormant presence in religious and monarchial politics during an extended period.The Renaissance marked a pivotal shift,steering biopolitics away from theological considerations towards a focus on secular life.The advent of capitalist development,characterized by the replacement of serf labor with industrial labor in factories,prompted the integration of medical technology into the capitalist state machinery to facilitate the management of industrial labor.This fusion led to the emergence of medical biopolitics tailored to sustain the demands of capitalist production.As machine-driven industrialization progressed,the collaboration between the capitalist state machine and the dual-discipline labor force resulted in a natural evolution of biopolitics aligned with the interests of capitalism.The ascent of immaterial labor,coupled with its dominance in the labor landscape,gave rise to a form of biopolitics that resisted capitalist influence.Autonomous Marxists,drawing inspiration from Marx's labor theory,introduced the concept of biopolitical labor,thereby shaping an autonomous biopolitical framework rooted in Marxist principles.However,the deviation from historical materialism has hindered the ability of autonomous biopolitics within Marxism to surmount the challenges posed by capitalism.This paper explores the intricate dynamics and evolution of biopolitics within the context of capitalist development,shedding light on the inherent complexities and the ongoing struggle for ideological alignment within Marxist thought.