On Impotence: Life in an Age of Frenetic Paralysis
Seagull Books, 2026
Cloth: 978-1-80309-644-5 | Paper: 978-1-80309-645-2 | eISBN: 978-1-80309-646-9
See other books on: Age | History & Theory | Humanism | Impotence | Virno, Paolo
See other titles from Seagull Books
Cloth: 978-1-80309-644-5 | Paper: 978-1-80309-645-2 | eISBN: 978-1-80309-646-9
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | TOC
ABOUT THIS BOOK
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, labor, 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 of lack, but of excess: an abundance of skills, capacities, and opportunities that, instead of taking form as coherent actions or speech, stagnate and turn in on themselves. In this thought-provoking meditation, philosopher Paolo Virno examines this strange impotence through the lens of classical thought, drawing especially on Aristotle and Marx.
To overcome this troubling state, Virno calls for a collective search for a shared spiritual and practical exercise aimed at reclaiming agency. He argues that only by learning to renounce renunciation can we cultivate deliberate words and timely decisions.
Contemporary life is marked by a paradoxical form of impotence. Whether in love, labor, 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 of lack, but of excess: an abundance of skills, capacities, and opportunities that, instead of taking form as coherent actions or speech, stagnate and turn in on themselves. In this thought-provoking meditation, philosopher Paolo Virno examines this strange impotence through the lens of classical thought, drawing especially on Aristotle and Marx.
To overcome this troubling state, Virno calls for a collective search for a shared spiritual and practical exercise aimed at reclaiming agency. He argues that only by learning to renounce renunciation can we cultivate deliberate words and timely decisions.
See other books on: Age | History & Theory | Humanism | Impotence | Virno, Paolo
See other titles from Seagull Books
