Paolo Virno

A philosophical exploration of what capitalistic societies truly mean for the individual. A short vade mecum for unrepentant materialism, The Idea of World collects three essays by Italian philosopher Paolo Virno that are intricately wrapped around one another. The first essay, “Mundanity,” attempts to clarify what the term “world,” as referred to as the perceptual and historical context of our...

A vital addition to Seagull's growing Italian List that focuses on leftist Italian thought, bringing famous as well as little-known yet crucial voices into the English language. As speaking animals, we continuously make use of an unassuming grammatical particle, without suspecting that what is at work in its inconspicuousness is a powerful apparatus, which orchestrates language, signification, and the world...

An incisive and urgent book that explores the hidden roots of our contemporary powerlessness. Contemporary life is marked by a paradoxical form of impotence. Whether in love, labour, or political struggle, we often find ourselves locked in a state of frenetic paralysis — unable to act as we wish or to endure what confronts us. This impotence is not born...