Rubén Alepuz Cintas, Molecular Biopolitics and Biological Citizenship: Towards a New Configuration of Power over Life. (2026). Tábano, 27, 1-19.
https://doi.org/10.46553/tab.2026.5394
Article in Spanish
Abstract
This article analyzes the evolution of the concept of biopolitics from Michel Foucault to Nikolas Rose, with a particular focus on molecular biopolitics and biological citizenship. It examines how contemporary biomedicine transforms power relations by introducing new mechanisms for regulating life, based on indefinite optimization and the management of genetic susceptibility. Drawing on Rose’s work, the role of biosociality and biolegitimacy in shaping a new model of citizenship is explored. It is argued that this form of biological citizenship, far from being passive, involves collective agency, where individuals organize themselves to claim their biomedical rights. Finally, the article reflects on the tensions between negative biopolitics, focused on controlling life, and affirmative biopolitics, which enables new forms of subjectivation and political participation.
Foucault News 