Critiques of Sovereignty and Power

This topic collects non-libertarian critiques of state power now present in the wiki. Schmitt and Foucault do not support libertarian conclusions, but they converge with the wiki’s state-power concerns by exposing power under legality, emergency, enemy-making, discipline, population management, and care/security language.

Schmitt: Decision and Enemy

Carl Schmitt enters through Political Theology and The Concept of the Political. His key concepts here are State of Exception and Enemy Distinction.

Schmitt’s warning is not libertarian: legal order depends on decision, and political unity defines enemies. The wiki uses this as a diagnostic of sovereignty, not as a program.

Foucault: Discipline and Biopower

Michel Foucault enters through Discipline and Punish and Society Must Be Defended. His key concepts here are Disciplinary Power and Biopower.

Foucault’s warning is that modern power does not only prohibit or tax. It observes, trains, normalizes, classifies, and administers life.

Relation to Libertarian State Critique

This topic sits beside, not inside, libertarian doctrine. State Power and Intervention remains the main libertarian state-power article. Schmitt and Foucault add external pressure tests: sovereignty can suspend its own rules, name enemies, discipline bodies, and present population management as care.

See Also

• State Power and Intervention - main libertarian comparison point
• The State as Parasite: A Thesis - thesis updated with brief Schmitt/Foucault mentions
• Carl Schmitt - author reference
• Political Theology - Schmitt sovereignty source
• The Concept of the Political - Schmitt friend/enemy source
• State of Exception - Schmitt concept
• Enemy Distinction - Schmitt concept
• Michel Foucault - author reference
• Discipline and Punish - Foucault discipline source
• Society Must Be Defended - Foucault biopower source
• Disciplinary Power - Foucault concept
• Biopower - Foucault concept
• Libertarianism - reciprocal link.

Sources

• Political Theology - sovereignty and exception
• The Concept of the Political - friend/enemy distinction
• Discipline and Punish - disciplinary power and panopticism
• Society Must Be Defended - biopower and population