Necropolitics

What is American prosperity theology? How does Mbembe relate it to the dangers of nihilism and submission to colonial democracy? How does prosperity theology relate to negative messianism? Cite textual evidence.

Explore Mbembe’s 2016 criticism of the Israeli occupation of Gaza and its connection to current events. How does Mbembe’s position as a non-Western philosopher contribute to his critique of the occupation?

Explore states of injury and/or states of exclusion. What modern manifestations of these third spaces exist today? Mbembe and Foucault both argue that power and discipline have become increasingly hidden, concealed, and contracted in contemporary contexts. What does this contraction look like today? How do states of power subvert the concerns and issues of marginalized groups and hide them from plain view?

What is the role of duality and wholeness in Mbembe’s work? How do governments maintain and justify dualities? Use textual evidence.

In Chapter 6, Mbembe briefly touches on three critiques: Afropessimism, Afrocentricism, and Afrofuturism. Define these critical lenses and how they compare to Mbembe’s work, using textual evidence.

Identify other philosophers outside the Western tradition whose work can help contextualize Mbembe’s work. Explore their philosophical similarities and differences.

Why does position matter in philosophy and art? How can an artist or writer use positionality to bring new connections to ideas? Examine Mbembe’s approach to doing so, citing textual evidence.

What is Mbembe’s view of the future? What is the “Dark Enlightenment”? How does this movement perpetuate violence and inequality? What steps can help dismantle colonization? Cite textual evidence.