Giorgio Agamben.

Giorgio Agamben is one of the most important and controversial figures in continental philosophy and critical theory. Agamben's work explores the intertwining of law, language, aesthetics and politics, most recently theorizing contemporary political situations through analysis of the 'war on terror'.

Alex Murray explains Agamben's key ideas, including:

* an overview of his work from his first publication to the present
* clear analysis of Agamben's philosophy of language and life
* ethics and 'witnessing', illustrated by popular representations of the holocaust from film and literature
* the relationship between Agamben's political writing and his work on aesthetics and poetics.

Investigating the relationship between politics, language, literature, aesthetics and ethics, this guide is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand the complex nature of modern political and cultural formations.