Political Economy of the Body

“[T]he body is . . . directly involved in a political field; power relations have an immediate hold upon it; they invest it, mark it, train it, torture it, force it to carry out tasks, to perform ceremonies, to emit signs.” (25)

For me this quote defiantly showed me a point of view that I have never considered. That humans (what interpret the meaning of "The Body" to mean) are just as much a part of the economy as anything else. Especially in the time of slavery, when this was written I believe this was true, but even still today. While an increasing number of jobs can be done with computers, and robot technology, a vast majority still require humans in some way shape or form. This quote illustrates how this has been true since the beginning of the first colonies of America, still to this day.


“[I]t is largely as a force of production that the body is invested with relations of power and domination; but, on the other hand, its constitution as labour power is possible only if it is caught up in a system of subjection . . . the body becomes a useful force only if it is both a productive body and a subjected body.” (26)

This quote illustrates (at least to me) how the human race is willing to exploit so many different things to get the desired end result. We are willing to use any resource to its limit, as long as the end justifies the means. While this is not true of all humans, it is shockingly large shadow over our race as a whole. The quote "the body becomes a useful force only if it is both a productive body and a subjected body" also shows how greed was a major player in the 17 century. That this can be written in such a general sense, shows how badly the indentured servants and slaves of that time were treated.

“In the darkest region of the political field the condemned man represents the symmetrical , inverted figure of the king.” (29)

This quote also shines new light on another point of view that I have never thought of before. The idea that as a race we are all in some way symetrical, but at the same time can be so different. Especially in the period this was written, you were either rich, or dirt poor. There was little to no "happy medium". And while there was, and is still such a stark contrast in the people of the world, we are all in some way still connected to eachother.