Guillermina Seri

This paper examines the productive heuristic possibilities of blending the Marxian critique of capital with Foucauldian studies on neoliberal governmentality. In so doing, we engage in a critical dialogue with both the tendency to break neoliberalism off from the history of capitalism (in the Foucauldian tradition) as well as those who see no need to introduce a new concept other than capital itself (more common among those following Marx). We stress that the process of capital accumulation—even if differentiated by its “regulated” and “neoliberal” forms—is not and can never be only about accumulating capital; it is always also about transforming society and politics, disciplining and controlling workers, and repurposing all life as “productive” resources. It is precisely for questions like this that Foucault is most usefully read, not as a refutation of Marx, but as an extension of his critique.

This essay critically explores the landscape of political theory through our transient experiences as theorists who were raised and educated in Latin America and obtained PhD degrees from North American universities. We argue that our transiting through geographies, styles of thinking, and modes of writing—what we call in-betweenness—can distinctly nurture democratic conversations and theorizing. Yet these opportunities tend to be hijacked by a series of intersecting exclusions. With this term, we refer to the silencing and invisibilization that Latin American theorists experience in addition to the marginalization of political theory within political science everywhere. In Global North conversations, our contributions are consistently diminished by distorted imaginaries and narratives about Latin America, with a loss for everyone. The analysis draws on current efforts to question power dynamics within political theory and political science. With these critiques, we share the conviction that a more open field would benefit us all. Given that the world faces challenges of existential proportions, including everyone in the conversation as equals, we contend, constitutes a fundamental move toward collective renewal and even survival.