Is Impersonal Identity Possible? On the “Unmasked” Idea of a Person Originated by Giorgio Agamben

Abstract

“Person” is a very old concept, which is strongly embedded in philosophy. It has come a long way in its semantic development and, according to Giorgio Agamben, whose views will be presented in this article, some of these periods are still alive in the influence of this concept. The Italian philosopher strives to prove that it is not a mere dictionary term, but a concept that has an almost performative power. In this article, the author tries to trace back, following Agamben’s views, the many contexts to which the term owes its existence (ancient philosophy, theatre, Christianity, Roman law, the early modern period), and especially the original meaning of the word ‘person’, that is, ‘mask’, which remains with it in close affinity, if not being identical to it. Finally, the author tries to outline in a few words the still vague yet rather obscure Agamben’s project, namely a philosophy that builds identity based on categories other than “person”.