Foucault, Stalin and the Politics of Life and Death: What Is Biopolitics? — Sergei Prozorov

28. 4. 2026

In this episode, I speak with Professor Sergei Prozorov about biopolitics, one of the most provocative frameworks in contemporary political theory, and how it reshapes our understanding of power, life, and death across IR, philosophy, and Soviet studies. From Foucault to Mbembe to Stalin, this is a conversation that cuts to the heart of how modern states govern human existence.

Sergei Prozorov

Sergei Prozorov is Professor of Political Science, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland. His research interests include contemporary political theory, continental philosophy, biopolitics, democracy and totalitarianism. Sergei’s work is positioned at the intersection of political philosophy, IR theory, and Soviet and post-Soviet studies, with sustained engagement with the thought of Michel Foucault, Giorgio Agamben, and Roberto Esposito.

During 2010–2015, Prozorov held the Academy of Finland Research Fellowship with the project Biopolitics of Stalinism. During 2015–2019, he served as Principal Investigator of the Academy of Finland project Biopolitics and Democracy in Global Governance. 

Prozorov's work has accumulated over 2,800 citations on Google Scholar Google Scholar, reflecting his standing as one of the leading theorists of biopolitics in the international field. Peer assessments situate him among the most philosophically sophisticated scholars working at the intersection of IR and continental theory. His work represents one of the most ambitious re-articulations of the ontological and ethical foundations of universalism in contemporary political theory.

Publications:

Prozorov's latest book is Poses of the World, the third volume in his Void Universalism trilogy.

Foucault, Freedom and Sovereignty

Agamben and Politics: A Critical Introduction

The Biopolitics of Stalinism: Ideology and Life in Soviet Socialism

Foucault and Agamben on Augustine, Paradise and the Politics of Human Nature

When did biopolitics begin? Actuality and potentiality in historical events

Biopolitics After Truth: Knowledge, Power and Democratic Life

Content

00:00 — Introduction
02:55 — Conceptualising Biopolitics
09:05 — Actors and Agents in Biopolitics
12:39 — Biopolitics and Mainstream Approaches in Political Science and IR
18:20 — Biopolitics and Sovereignty: Engaging with Agamben
26:16 — Biopolitics and Necropolitics: Mbembe’s Intervention
31:05 — Studying Biopolitics Empirically: Approaches and Challenges
33:06 — Researching Biopolitics: Professor Prozorov’s Preferred Methods
38:58 — Common Pitfalls in Biopolitics Research: Advice for Early-Career Scholars
41:53 — Biopolitics Beyond the West
45:21 — The Motivation and Goals Behind Biopolitics of Stalinism (book)
50:30 — Soviet Ideology Through the Lens of Biopolitics
01:00:59 — Biopolitical Investment or Propaganda in the Soviet Project?
01:03:39 — Professor Prozorov’s Upcoming Research and Future Directions