Associate Professor Jessica Whyte

Associate Professor Jessica Whyte

Scientia Fellow (Level D)

PhD. Centre for Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, Monash University Awarded: October 14th, 2010.

  • Thesis Title: “‘Starting from this Uncertain Terrain’: The Political Thought of Giorgio Agamben.”
  • Supervisors: Dr. Alison Ross and Dr. Nina Philadelphoff-Puren.
  • Examiners: Prof. Eric L. Santner, University of Chicago and Prof. Costas Douzinas, Birkbeck College, University of London.
  • Awarded the Monash University Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal 2010.

Social Science (Hons.) RMIT University, 2003

  • Thesis Title: “Life in the Camp: Giorgio Agamben and Australia’s Mandatory Detention of Asylum Seekers”, (First Class Honours)
  • Supervisor: Prof. Rob Watts.

Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) RMIT University, 2002.

Arts, Design & Architecture (ADA)
School of Humanities & Languages

Jessica Whyte is a Scientia Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of New South Wales, Australia, with a cross-appointment in the Faculty of Law. Her work integrates political philosophy, intellectual history and political economy to analyse contemporary forms of sovereignty, human rights, humanitarianism and militarism. She has a particular interest in the political stakes of mobilizing the category of the human, and in the way claims to protect humanity are bound up with rationalizations for abandoning certain lives and for state-sanctioned killing.  She has published widely on human rights, humanitarianism, and neoliberalism, and on contemporary European philosophy (especially Agamben and Foucault.)

She is the author of two published monographs, Catastrophe and Redemption: The Political Thought of Giorgio Agamben (SUNY, 2012), and, most recently, The Morals of the Market: Human Rights and the Rise of Neoliberalism (Verso, 2019). The latter book draws on archival research on the parallel histories of human rights and neoliberalism to uncover the place of human rights in neoliberal attempts to develop a moral framework for a market society. It shows that, in the wake of the Second World War, neoliberals saw demands for new rights to social welfare and self-determination as threats to “civilization”. Yet, rather than rejecting rights, they developed a distinctive account of human rights as tools to depoliticise civil society, protect private investments and shape liberal subjects. The book argues that this neoliberal conception of human rights was far more influential for the contemporary politics of human rights than has often been recognized. 

Jessica’s work has been published in a range of fora including Contemporary Political Theory; Humanity: An International Journal of Human Rights, Humanitarianism and Development; Law and Critique; Political Theory; South Atlantic Quarterly, and Theory and Event. She is an editor of the journal Humanity: An International Journal of Human Rights, Humanitarianism and Development.

Her current research focuses on the development of techniques of economic warfare after the Cold War.  More of her research is available here: https://unsw.academia.edu/JessicaWhyte

Phone
+61 2 9385 2341
Location
Room 342 Morven Brown Building
  • Books | 2020
    Whyte J, 2020, The Morals of the Market (LBE) Human Rights and the Rise of Neoliberalism, Verso Books
    Books | 2013
    Whyte J, 2013, Catastrophe and redemption: The political thought of Giorgio Agamben
  • Book Chapters | 2023
    Shalbak I; Whyte J, 2023, 'The war against the people and the people's war: Palestine and the additional protocols to the Geneva conventions', in Cuddy B; Kattan V (ed.), Making Endless War: The Vietnam and Arab-Israeli Conflicts in the History of International Law, University of Michigan Press, pp. 145 - 172, http://dx.doi.org/10.3998/mpub.12584508
    Book Chapters | 2021
    Whyte J, 2021, 'Human Rights, Revolution and the Good Society: The Soviet Union and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights', in Orford A; Greenman K; Saunders A; Tzouvala N (ed.), Revolutions in International Law The Legacies of 1917, Cambridge University Press, pp. 401 - 427, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781108860727.021
    Book Chapters | 2020
    Whyte J, 2020, 'Liberté sans Frontières, French humanitarianism, and the neoliberal critique of third worldism', in Decolonization, Self-Determination, and the Rise of Global Human Rights Politics, Cambridge University Press, pp. 397 - 424, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/9781108783170.020
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Whyte J, 2018, 'Agamben's Philosophical Lineage: Karl Marx', in Agamben's Philosophical Lineage, Edinburgh University Press, http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9781474423632.003.0028
    Book Chapters | 2017
    Whyte J, 2017, ''The king reigns but he doesn't govern': Thinking sovereignty and government with Agamben, Foucault and Rousseau', in Agamben and Law, pp. 167 - 186, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315097497
    Book Chapters | 2016
    Whyte J, 2016, '"Always on top"?: The "responsibility to protect" and the persistence of colonialism', in , pp. 308 - 324, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315297699
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Habjan J; Whyte J, 2014, '(Mis)readings of Marx in Continental Philosophy', in Tyrrell IR; Sexton J (ed.), Empire's Twin, Cornell University Press, pp. 1 - 229, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137352835
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Habjan J; Whyte J, 2014, 'Introduction to (Mis)-Readings of Marx in Continental Philosophy', in (Mis)-Readings of Marx in Continental Philosophy, pp. 1 - 18, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511493782.001
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Whyte J, 2014, 'Humanizing Militarism: Amnesty International and the Tactical Polyvalence of Human Rights Discourses', in The Aporia of Rights: Explorations in Citizenship in the Era of Human Rights, pp. 183 - 204
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Whyte J, 2014, '’Man Produces Universally’: Praxis and Production in Agamben and Marx', in , pp. 178 - 194, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137352835
    Book Chapters | 2013
    Whyte J, 2013, 'The king reigns but he doesn?t govern?: Thinking sovereignty and government with Agamben, Foucault and Rousseau', in , pp. 143 - 161, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203515808
    Book Chapters | 2012
    Whyte J, 2012, 'Human rights: Confronting governments?: Michel foucault and the right to intervene', in , pp. 11 - 30
    Book Chapters | 2012
    Whyte J, 2012, 'Is revolution desirable?: Michel Foucault on revolution, neoliberalism and rights', in , pp. 207 - 228, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203094563
    Book Chapters | 2012
    Whyte J, 2012, 'Is revolution desirable?: Michel Foucault on revolution, neoliberalism and rights', in Re-reading Foucault: On Law, Power and Rights, pp. 207 - 228, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203094563-20
    Book Chapters | 2012
    Whyte J, 2012, 'The work of men is not durable: History, Haiti and the rights of man', in , pp. 239 - 248
    Book Chapters | 2008
    Jessica W, 2008, '‘Its Silent Working was a Delusion’', in The Work of Giorgio AgambenLaw, Literature, Life, Edinburgh University Press, pp. 66 - 79, http://dx.doi.org/10.3366/edinburgh/9780748634620.003.0005
    Book Chapters |
    Habjan J; Whyte J, 'Introduction', in (Mis)readings of Marx in Continental Philosophy, Palgrave Macmillan, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/9781137352835.0003
  • Journal articles | 2024
    Whyte J, 2024, 'A “Tragic Humanitarian Crisis”: Israel’s Weaponization of Starvation and the Question of Intent', Journal of Genocide Research, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14623528.2024.2339637
    Journal articles | 2022
    Whyte J, 2022, 'ECONOMIC COERCION AND FINANCIAL WAR', Journal of Australian Political Economy, 2022, pp. 5 - 25
    Journal articles | 2022
    Whyte J, 2022, 'Freedom: The History and the Future of a Disputed Idea', Modern Intellectual History, 19, pp. 1304 - 1315, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S147924432100038X
    Journal articles | 2020
    Dehm J; Golder B; Whyte J, 2020, 'Introduction: 'Redistributive Human Rights?' symposium', London Review of International Law, 8, pp. 225 - 232, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/lril/lraa018
    Journal articles | 2020
    Whyte J, 2020, 'Calculation and conflict', South Atlantic Quarterly, 119, pp. 31 - 51, http://dx.doi.org/10.1215/00382876-8007641
    Journal articles | 2018
    Whyte J, 2018, 'Hayek’s Submissive Subjects: Reply to Kyong-Min Son, “The Making of the Neoliberal Subject: Response to Whyte”', Political Theory, pp. 009059171880715 - 009059171880715, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0090591718807151
    Journal articles | 2018
    Whyte J, 2018, 'Powerless Companions or Fellow Travellers?', Radical Philosophy
    Journal articles | 2018
    Whyte J, 2018, 'The Dangerous Concept of the Just War', Humanity, 9, pp. 313 - 341, http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/hum.2018.0017
    Journal articles | 2017
    Whyte J, 2017, 'The Invisible Hand of Friedrich Hayek: Submission and Spontaneous Order', Political Theory, pp. 009059171773706 - 009059171773706, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0090591717737064
    Journal articles | 2014
    Whyte J, 2014, 'The Fortunes of Natural Man: Robinson Crusoe, Political Economy, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights', Humanity: An International Journal of Human Rights, Humanitarianism, and Development, 5, pp. 301 - 321, http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/hum.2014.0022
    Journal articles | 2010
    Bailey R; McLoughlin D; Whyte J, 2010, 'Editors' Introduction: Form-of-Life: Giorgio Agamben, Ontology and Politics', Theory & Event, 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1353/tae.0.0122
    Journal articles | 2010
    Whyte J, 2010, '’A New Use of the Self’: Giorgio Agamben on the Coming Community',
    Journal articles | 2009
    Sentas V; Whyte J, 2009, 'Law, Crisis, Revolution', Australian Feminist Law Journal, 31, pp. 3 - 14, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13200968.2009.10854424
    Journal articles | 2009
    Whyte J, 2009, 'Criminalising ‘Camera Fiends’: Photography Restrictions in the Age of Digital Reproduction', Australian Feminist Law Journal, 31, pp. 99 - 120, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13200968.2009.10854429
    Journal articles | 2009
    Whyte J, 2009, 'Particular rights and absolute wrongs: Giorgio Agamben on life and politics', Law and Critique, 20, pp. 147 - 161
    Journal articles | 2009
    Whyte J, 2009, '’I would prefer not to’: Giorgio Agamben, Bartleby and the potentiality of the law', Law and Critique, 20, pp. 309 - 324
    Journal articles | 2007
    Whyte J, 2007, 'Human Rights and the Collateral Damage of Neoliberalism', Theory and Event 20 (no.1)
  • Other | 2021
    O’Driscoll C; Brown C; Hutchings K; Finlay CJ; Whyte J; Gregory T, 2021, How and Why to Do Just War Theory, http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/s41296-020-00453-x
    Other | 2021
    Whyte J, 2021, Mutant Neoliberalism: Market Rule and Political Rupture. Edited by William Callison and Zachary Manfredi. New York: Fordham University Press, 2020. 320p. $35.00 paper., Cambridge University Press (CUP), http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s153759272000417x
    Other | 2020
    O’Hara C; Pahuja S; Guevara VV; Whyte J, 2020, World-Making Through Market Morality: A Conversation About Human Rights, Neoliberalism and Political Struggle, Informa UK Limited, , http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13200968.2020.1820741
    Other | 2019
    Whyte J, 2019, Bugsplat: The Politics of Collateral Damage in Western Armed Conflicts, ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14623528.2019.1589928
    Other | 2019
    Whyte J, 2019, Naming Violence: A Critical Theory of Genocide, Torture, and Terrorism. By Mathias Thaler. New York: Columbia University Press, 2018. 248p. $65.00 cloth., Cambridge University Press (CUP), , http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1537592719000641
    Other | 2017
    Whyte J, 2017, Human rights after October,
    Other | 2016
    Whyte J, 2016, Re: Legitimacy and the shadows of universalism: A response to Meine's ?Debating legitimacy transnationally?,
    Other | 2015
    Whyte J, 2015, The republic of the living: Biopolitics and the critique of civil society, Springer Nature, , http://dx.doi.org/10.1057/cpt.2015.30
    Other | 2012
    Whyte J, 2012, Intervene, I said,
    Other | 2011
    Whyte J, 2011, The long night of the left is drawing to a close,
    Other | 2010
    Whyte J, 2010, Symposium: Form-of-Life: Giorgio Agamben, Ontology and Politics Special Section,

2015: "The Invention of Collateral Damage and the Changing Moral Economy of War" , Australian Research Council DECRA fellowship, DE160100473.

2014: Early Career Research Grant, University of Western Sydney, for the project “Suffering and Morality in the New Humanitarianism”, $7,078.

2014: Research Training Scheme, University of Western Sydney, for the workshop “New Spirits of Humanitarianism”, $5000.

 

2018: Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities, Visiting Research Fellowship

2014: Visiting Research Fellowship, Centre for the History of Knowledge, ETH Zurich.

2010: Monash University Mollie Holman Doctoral Medal

2010: School of English, Communications and Performance Studies Graduate Research Achievement Prize for the best publication in the School. (Awarded for the article “Particular Rights and Absolute Wrongs: Giorgio Agamben on Life and Politics”, published in Law and Critique.)

Scientia Project: The moral economy of civilian protection and the transformation of international humanitarian law”.

Project description: Today, civilians account for a higher proportion of conflict deaths than at any point in modern history. As Western societies are acculturated to conceptualise far-off civilian deaths as ‘collateral damage’, new technologies and weaponry have deadly effects on non-combatants, and the rise of urban wars—in which non-traditional forces fight in the midst of densely-populated areas—expose civilians to increasing risks. This project addresses the significant challenge of the human costs of contemporary armed conflicts. It seeks to understand the historical and institutional processes that have established a moral and legal distinction between deliberate harm inflicted on non-combatants, and the ‘collateral damage’ that is seen as an inevitable ‘side-effect’ of modern warfare. The project will produce an account of the role of military strategists, human rights organisations, and international lawyers in normalising ‘unintentional’ killing. Drawing on archival material and military manuals, and combining insights from political philosophy, the history of human rights, and the anthropology of humanitarianism, the project aims to illuminate the moral economy of contemporary warfare.