Theology and human rights: reflections from the thinking of Giorgio Agamben

This article will discuss the intersections between theology and human rights in the modern state from the thought of the Italian philosopher Giorgio Agamben proposes a discussion of what he called the theological genealogy of democratic theories in contemporary times. Agamben refers primarily to the theological and mythical Christian categories of the medieval period and analyzes their presence in governmental structures and the sovereign power of modernity. To deal with the theological paradigms Agamben, he dialogues with Carl Schmitt, for whom the doctrines that constitute the modern state are secularized theological concepts. Contrary to Max Weber's contention, the disenchantment of the world has not led to a de-modernization in modernity, for even if it is in the underground of political ideas, theology still continues to operate in the world with impacts on biopower and human rights.