One of the most promising developments in social and political theory in recent years is the research being done in the field of “political genealogy.” Scholars employing political genealogy as a methodology represent a wide range of disciplines, from the social sciences to the humanities, from philosophy to geography to urban studies to cultural theory. Yet there has never been a comprehensive study of political genealogy itself. Empowerment: The Theory and Practice of Political Genealogy lays the groundwork for the recognition of political genealogy as a methodology and model of theoretical inquiry, one that will be taken up by scholars from a broad range of academic disciplines. Along the way, it critically assesses some of the best examples of work in political genealogy, showing how this work forces us to rethink many of the key concepts in political theory, such as sovereignty, representation, and violence. In helping us to understand the history of our present, it looks to our future and to what being a political subject will look like in a post-representational world.

This book produces an effective and persuasive account of political genealogy as practiced by a small group of contemporary political theorists following the work of Nietzsche and Foucault. Clifford demonstrates that this group has in fact practiced the kind of counter-memory Foucault envisaged and made a significant contribution to questioning several erroneous assumptions that undergird basic categories or concepts of contemporary political theory. Empowerment produces original analyses, inventive insights, and makes a valuable contribution to understanding practicing political genealogy as a way of doing political theory. -- Engin Isin, Professor of International Politics, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and University of London Institute in Paris (ULIP)

Michael Clifford is professor of philosophy in the Institute for the Humanities and the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Mississippi State University. He is the author of Political Genealogy After Foucault: Savage Identities.