Dr. Saman Faridouni
Political Sociology Researcher
International Peace Studies Center – IPSC
“In our age, there are no longer real events, only representations of what might be real.” — Jean Baudrillard
The world is chaotic, resembling a digital science-fiction game! For nearly three years, Russia and Ukraine have been at war, resulting in hundreds of thousands dead, wounded, and displaced, alongside massive material and infrastructural damage. Trump seizes power, declaring his ambitious and inhumane policies under the banner of “restoring America’s greatness.” Israel turns Gaza and Lebanon into fields of fire and blood, leaving thousands dead. Sudan has been burning in the hell of civil war for years, with millions displaced. Congo and Rwanda are embroiled in conflict, leaving hundreds of thousands homeless. Türkiye is in turmoil… The world is no longer a safe place, and instead of progressing politically and socially, it descends further into disorder and instability each day. Politics has lost its ability to resolve conflicts and establish stability.
In such a world, “Is politics dead?”
Once, Nietzsche proclaimed, “God is dead.” After him, Foucault declared, “Man is dead,” and following them, Achille Mbembe announced “the death of politics.” It seems that “death” is the thread connecting centuries.
These three statements, each pointing to monumental shifts in the history of thought, deeply reflect the social and political events of our time. The contemporary world faces wars, social crises, economic changes, and vast inequalities, suggesting that politics has lost its meaningful function.
When Nietzsche declared that God was dead, he symbolically pointed to a fundamental transformation in the human world. The death of God was not the annihilation of a transcendent being but the loss of the authority of values and meanings in human culture and thought. Modern humans could no longer seek meaning based on religious or metaphysical beliefs. The death of God marked the beginning of a new era of freedom, as humanity sought new meanings and alternative references.
After Nietzsche, Foucault announced the death of man. This death signified the end of traditional and classical ideas of man as a free, autonomous being with independent reason and will. Through his analysis of power and knowledge structures, Foucault demonstrated that humans, in their traditional understanding of existence, freedom, and identity, are shaped by social and cultural forces beyond their will. In other words, modern humans are no longer independent beings but are subject to social and historical forces that guide their identity formation and choices.
In this trajectory of thought, the final death is the death of politics. Just as Nietzsche declared the death of God as the loss of moral-spiritual authority, and Foucault proclaimed the death of man as the loss of the autonomous and free subject, Mbembe declared the death of politics as the loss of its fundamental functions—no longer a rational field but a tool that has lost its efficacy in achieving spiritual and human goals such as justice, freedom, and welfare.
Politics was once an important institution aimed at ensuring public welfare, social justice, establishing fair governance, acting based on rights and laws, and organizing society to achieve common goals and public interests. However, in the contemporary world, politics has increasingly diverged from its original meaning. In many societies, governments no longer function as legitimate and accountable institutions serving the people but have become tools for preserving power and serving the interests of specific groups. A crisis of legitimacy sweeps the world; people distrust governments and politicians. Even in democratic systems, a high percentage of the population lacks faith in electoral promises. Governments, instead of serving the people and distributing public resources, have become executive machines for power-hungry and corrupt groups serving their own interests. Legislation and political decisions are no longer based on the needs of the people or public welfare but on the interests of political and economic factions.
On the international stage, institutions like the United Nations, instead of serving as references for resolving crises and guaranteeing human rights, have become hubs for implementing the decisions of major powers and securing their interests. The UN’s inefficacy in addressing humanitarian crises, wars, and environmental issues is strong evidence of these institutions’ departure from their original functions.
We must acknowledge that in the contemporary world, politics has failed to achieve its classical objectives. Traditionally, politics was seen as a tool for ensuring social justice and stability in human societies, with communities striving to create legal and political systems to guarantee fair resource distribution and prevent unrest. Yet, in the modern era, these goals have increasingly led to failure.
The first indicator of the death of politics is its inability to achieve social justice. In the past, politicians and governments sought solutions to reduce inequality and promote social welfare. Today, however, these policies are tailored to benefit economic elites and specific groups. Economic policies, once aimed at reducing economic disparities, have now become political economy tools to strengthen the power and interests of wealthy groups.
For example, in some countries, tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy—often through legal loopholes—have not benefited ordinary people but have instead exacerbated social inequalities.
The second indicator of the death of politics is its failure to create and maintain social stability. While establishing social order and preventing chaos were primary goals of politics, many countries now grapple with severe political, social, and economic crises, highlighting politics’ failure to preserve stability.
Globally, increasing instability is evident in many regions. Wars, humanitarian and political crises, social unrest, and street protests have become commonplace, demonstrating that politics can no longer ensure peace and social stability.
One reason for this instability is governments’ inefficacy in addressing the real needs of the people. When economic and social policies serve specific groups rather than public welfare, people feel injustice and instability. This not only fuels public dissatisfaction but can also escalate social crises and even lead to fundamental political changes. This trend shows that politics is no longer capable of solving societal problems and has instead become a tool for specific groups.
The question arises: If politics is dead, what has replaced it?
Alain Badiou, the French philosopher, argues that what is recognized as politics today is not politics but anti-politics. He sees politics as something exceptional, emerging from truth, not the current structures that are parts of a technical machine working to manage the existing order and capitalist system.
The signs suggest that capitalism has increasingly replaced politics in modern societies. Capitalism is not merely an economic system; it has become a socio-political system that dominates virtually every aspect of human life. This is especially evident today, where technology serves as a tool to reinforce capitalist dominance.
Capitalism, using advanced technologies and controlling social media, continuously influences policies, social relations, and even individual mindsets, penetrating all dimensions of life and turning politics into a tool for its own ends. Economic actors now dominate politics, exerting unprecedented influence. Through economic lobbying and technological solutions, capitalism has effectively replaced politics.
Google, Facebook, Twitter, and others directly shape political and economic trends. Beyond their economic impact, these companies, by collecting and analysing data, wield immense power in determining political and social priorities.
The three great “deaths” in human thought each symbolize fundamental shifts in humanity’s worldview and existence. The death of God initiated a crisis in values and the meaning of life. The erosion of moral and social values brought about the death of the unprincipled human, deepening the crisis at the individual and cognitive levels. The death of man led to the death of politics—a politics that, in Mbembe’s words, “lives death, not life,” reduced to perpetual war, death management, and mere survival. In a world where a merchant dons the robe of politics, sits in the U.S. president’s chair, and the world’s richest man—Elon Musk—becomes his advisor, perhaps the best conclusion is to echo Giorgio Agamben: “Politics has given way to money.”