Author: Roberts, Morley.
Title: Bio-politics. An essay in the physiology, pathology & politics of the social & somatic organism.
Description: London: Dent, 1938 (1st ed.); xv+240pp., index, bibliography, appendix, 8vo, green cloth w. gilt lettering on spine. V. good copy. Scarce. ¶ based on the ancient and still popular analogy between physical bodies and social organisms, this book by the conservative anarchist Roberts arues that the study of the pathologies of single animals can be applied to the functions of social and national groups. However outdated in its social philosophy - very much inspired by his best friend Sir Arthur Keith - it is nevertheless an example of how deep the physical and evolutionary sciences influenced social thought. Roberts coined the term biopolitics that was to have a quite different meaning since the political scientists Albert Somit and Glendon Schubert introduced the biological, and particularly evolutionary, disciplines into the anti-biologistic social science of Political science in the early 1970's.

Keywords: biopoliticologie biopolitics politieke filosofie sociaal-darwinisme