Giorgio Agamben and the Concept of Messianism

Abstract

The messianic idea is an important aspect of Jewish philosophy and consists in awaiting the arrival of a redeemer who will at the same time usher in an era of peace and universal harmony. There are, however, different understandings of the circumstances in which the messiah's arrival may take place. The dispute in this area concerns, inter alia, the problem of whether mankind, through their deeds, may influence the arrival of the messiah. Such an approach was presented by the messianic movements that drew from Kabbalah, e.g. Sabbataism. Following the messianic themes, the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben analyses the concept of the messianic time, the forms of law and the role of the individual in the process of transforming the world, proposing a secularised vision of the messianic era. The article focuses on the reception of the idea of messianism in the philosophy of Giorgio Agamben, outlining the key concepts created by the Italian philosopher and pointing to the inspiration taken by Agamben from the Judaic tradition.