Introduction
In the 21st century, power over life and death is not merely a philosophical or moral concern—it is a deeply political one. Two key frameworks help us understand how modern states exercise such power: biopolitics and necropolitics.
Coined by Michel Foucault, biopolitics refers to the state’s power to regulate life—to “make live and let die”—through mechanisms like healthcare, population control, and surveillance. In contrast, Achille Mbembe’s necropolitics highlights the sovereign’s ability to decide who must die, often exercised through war, colonization, and structural violence.
These two approaches to power come into sharp focus in the nuclear era, where the ability to destroy life exists alongside efforts to protect and sustain it. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 offer a profound case study in the interplay between biopolitical restraint and necropolitical violence.
Necropolitics Unleashed: The Birth of the Nuclear Age
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Hiroshima Bombing:
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On August 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped the atomic bomb "Little Boy" on Hiroshima.
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Approximately 70,000 people died instantly; the death toll rose to 140,000 by year’s end due to radiation, burns, and injuries.
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The bomb destroyed hospitals, schools, homes, and vital infrastructure—wiping out not just a population but a city’s future.
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Nagasaki Bombing:
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On August 9, 1945, the U.S. dropped "Fat Man" on Nagasaki, killing about 75,000 people.
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Unlike Hiroshima’s flat terrain, Nagasaki's valleys limited the blast radius—but the destruction was still catastrophic.
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Not Just Military Strategy—Necropolitics in Action:
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These were not mere acts of war but state decisions to annihilate entire populations in seconds.
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Nuclear weapons blurred the lines between combatants and civilians—unleashing death on children, the elderly, and the sick.
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A New Kind of Sovereign Power:
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The bombings marked a turning point where states could exert power over life and death on an industrial scale.
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It wasn’t just about defeating the enemy; it was about displaying the capacity to erase life itself.
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Birth of the Nuclear Age:
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The events symbolized a shift to a world where destruction could be total, instantaneous, and state-sanctioned.
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This became a defining feature of necropolitics, a term later coined by Achille Mbembe, to describe the power to decide who must die and under what conditions.
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Moral and Political Shockwave:
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The world witnessed not only mass death but the unveiling of a new political order, where technological domination enabled the state to render entire populations disposable.
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Aftermath and the Politics of Slow Death
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Radiation: The Invisible Killer
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After the bombings, survivors—known as hibakusha—experienced severe radiation sickness: vomiting, hair loss, bleeding, and infections.
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By December 1945, an additional 50,000 people died, many from radiation-related illnesses without understanding the cause.
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State Secrecy and Information Suppression
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The U.S. censored reports and photographs, preventing the global community from learning the full extent of the radiation effects.
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Medical studies by Japanese doctors were confiscated; the U.S. Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission (ABCC) prioritized data collection over treatment.
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Social Exclusion and Neglect
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Survivors faced social stigma in Japan—discrimination in jobs, marriage, and healthcare—often treated as contaminated and undesirable.
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Necropolitics persisted through systemic neglect: states decided who deserved care and who could be abandoned.
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Castle Bravo Incident (1954)
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The U.S. tested a thermonuclear bomb at Bikini Atoll; radioactive fallout contaminated the Japanese fishing boat Fukuryu Maru ("Lucky Dragon No. 5").
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Crew members developed acute radiation illness; one died, triggering public outrage in Japan and global awareness of long-term nuclear fallout.
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Necropolitics Beyond the Bombing
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The politics of death didn’t end with the explosion—it continued through slow, invisible suffering.
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States managed the aftermath by denying culpability, delaying aid, and allowing populations to perish silently.
Life, Power, and the Politics of Survival
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The suffering after the bombings shows that violence is not only about sudden death but also about how long and painfully people are allowed to survive.
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Governments used their power not just to kill, but to decide who gets help and who is ignored.
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Choosing not to act—like not giving medical care or hiding information—also became a kind of violence.
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This marked a shift: states began to control life and death not only through weapons, but also by deciding whose life is worth saving.
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From Silence to Struggle: Survivors and the Rise of Biopolitics
The Hibakusha—survivors of the atomic bombings—did not remain passive victims of state violence. Over time, they turned their personal suffering into powerful public testimony, forming a global movement for peace and nuclear disarmament. Organizations like Nihon Hidankyo (Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations) emerged as strong voices, confronting the world with the human cost of nuclear war.
Their activism marked a profound shift from necropolitical domination to biopolitical resistance—where life, dignity, and healing became tools of political power. Instead of letting the violence define them, they used their trauma as testimony, demanding recognition, justice, and change.
🔹 Key Highlights:
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The Hibakusha courageously shared personal stories of suffering, survival, and resilience, helping the world understand the long-term human effects of radiation—not just physical but psychological and generational.
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Activist groups like Nihon Hidankyo organized protests, gave testimony at the UN, and lobbied for survivor rights, including healthcare support and official recognition of nuclear victims.
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The global discourse shifted—from viewing nuclear weapons purely through the lens of deterrence and national security to ethical, humanitarian, and human rights concerns.
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Their tireless advocacy laid the moral groundwork for international efforts such as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW)—a historic agreement even if nuclear-armed states refused to join.
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In 2024, the Hibakusha’s decades-long struggle was finally honored with the Nobel Peace Prize, symbolizing how victims of state violence can become agents of global peace and conscience.
“We are not myths. We are living witnesses. Our scars are not history—they are warnings.”
— Sumiteru Taniguchi, Nagasaki survivor and peace activist
Deterrence and Discipline in the Nuclear Order
Following the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons were no longer just tools of war—they became tools of global governance. The Cold War introduced a paradox: peace was maintained through the credible threat of mass death. This transformed geopolitics into a system where the power to destroy life became the key to preserving it.
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Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD):
The doctrine of MAD ensured that any nuclear attack would result in the total destruction of both the attacker and the defender. This fragile balance of terror became the foundation of international stability. -
Biopolitical logic of deterrence:
The promise not to use nuclear weapons paradoxically became a way to protect populations—by preventing war through fear. States managed populations not by ensuring peace, but by guaranteeing retaliation. -
NPT and strategic inequality:
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1968) created a global divide:-
Five countries (US, Russia, China, UK, France) were granted nuclear status.
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All others were legally bound to abstain, even if they faced security threats.
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This formalized a hierarchy of nations, where a few held life-and-death power.
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Discipline under the guise of peace:
Non-nuclear states were surveilled, sanctioned, and politically pressured in the name of non-proliferation. This was not always about safety—it was about control. Nations were punished for seeking autonomy over their defense strategies. -
The illusion of control:
The global nuclear order depends on the restraint of a handful of leaders. Citizens have no role in nuclear decision-making. A single miscalculation, a technical glitch, or a crisis could end millions of lives. -
The necropolitical underside:
While the system claims to preserve life, it continues to hold the world hostage to potential extinction. Nuclear weapons may never be used, but their presence constantly governs global behavior through the threat of absolute death.
This complex architecture of deterrence sustains a world where discipline, fear, and inequality are normalized—all in the name of peace.
Emerging Necropolitical Threats
As geopolitical tensions rise, the long-standing taboo against nuclear use is weakening. What was once considered "unthinkable" is now openly discussed in policy circles, military doctrines, and international media. These shifts signal a troubling normalization of necropolitics—where the power over death is increasingly treated as a legitimate strategic tool.
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Russia’s nuclear signaling in Ukraine:
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During the ongoing war in Ukraine, Russian leaders have repeatedly issued veiled nuclear threats, especially in response to Western aid and NATO involvement.
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This undermines the global nuclear taboo by making the use of nuclear weapons part of conventional diplomatic discourse.
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The rise of tactical nuclear weapons:
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Modern arsenals now include "tactical" or low-yield nuclear bombs designed for battlefield use.
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These are portrayed as more "rational" or "limited" tools of war, reducing the psychological and ethical barrier to their deployment.
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This blurs the line between conventional and nuclear warfare, dangerously lowering the threshold for use.
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South Asia’s volatile nuclear dynamics:
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Tensions between India and Pakistan continue to present one of the world’s most fragile nuclear flashpoints.
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Past crises (e.g., Kargil, Pulwama-Balakot) have brought both nations dangerously close to escalation.
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With short reaction times, evolving doctrines, and internal political pressures, accidental or deliberate escalation remains a real threat.
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Expansion of nuclear ambitions globally:
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Nations like North Korea actively test and demonstrate nuclear capability to secure regime survival.
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Others may follow suit, weakening global non-proliferation norms and spreading the logic of nuclear deterrence into unstable regions.
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Technological advances fueling risk:
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Artificial intelligence, cyberwarfare, and hypersonic weapons create uncertainty in command-and-control systems.
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The fear of a "decapitation strike" or loss of second-strike capability might push states toward preemptive action.
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Necropolitics as normalized strategy:
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These developments reflect a shift from deterrence to usable nuclear options.
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Nuclear death is no longer portrayed as catastrophic—it is being reframed as manageable, proportionate, or even necessary under certain conditions.
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Necropolitics is no longer confined to the past. It is evolving, adapting, and embedding itself into 21st-century security doctrines. The danger lies not only in the weapons themselves, but in the willingness to reimagine their use as legitimate.
Biopolitical Ethics in a Nuclear Age
In a world still shaped by nuclear weapons, the moral imperative is no longer just about preventing war, but about reshaping how we value life itself. The biopolitical challenge is to ensure that the logic of mass death is replaced by systems that protect and prioritize human survival.
1. Remembering to Resist
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Collective memory is a moral force. The testimonies of Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) humanize nuclear consequences and challenge sanitized narratives of deterrence.
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Education systems worldwide should integrate nuclear history to sustain public consciousness and prevent normalization of mass destruction.
2. Strengthening Global Norms
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Treaties like the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, though ignored by nuclear states, provide ethical benchmarks.
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Supporting and expanding these legal instruments helps stigmatize nuclear possession and use—not just proliferation.
3. Empowering Civil Society
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Survivor groups, peace activists, and humanitarian organizations offer grassroots ethical resistance to nuclear hegemony.
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These actors must be included in international policymaking and disarmament dialogues.
4. Reframing Security
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National security must be redefined to include environmental degradation, radiation health risks, and nuclear accidents.
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Framing these as biopolitical threats enables policies focused on life preservation, not just military balance.
5. Democratizing Nuclear Decision-Making
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Currently, nuclear launch authority often lies with a handful of individuals.
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Introducing parliamentary checks, scientific oversight, and greater transparency are essential for ethical governance in a nuclear world.
6. Building Alternative Security Frameworks
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Peace through deterrence is inherently necropolitical.
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A sustainable future demands models based on cooperation, development, and non-violence rather than the threat of annihilation.
7. Ethics as Long-Term Resistance
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Ethics may not disarm nuclear states immediately—but they can delegitimize their choices and mobilize global conscience.
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The goal is to shift political culture from fear-based survival to life-affirming coexistence.
Conclusion
Nearly 80 years after Hiroshima, nuclear weapons remain the most terrifying symbol of state power—the ability to decide who lives and who dies. They are not just instruments of war but tools of domination, justified by doctrines of deterrence while putting millions at risk.
Yet, history has also shown the strength of resistance. The Hibakusha and global peace movements transformed grief into advocacy, shifting the discourse from destruction to dignity. Their voices remind us that memory is not passive—it can shape policy, ethics, and the future.
But today, the threat is evolving. Casual discussions about "tactical" nuclear weapons, rising religious and ideological conflicts, and state indifference to human suffering—from Gaza to Ukraine—signal a dangerous erosion of restraint. War is no longer seen as the failure of politics, but a legitimate tool of governance.
If humanity is to survive the nuclear age, we must build a moral foundation rooted in empathy, not enmity. Choosing love over hatred is not naïve—it is necessary.
“Even if I were the last person on Earth, I would still speak out against nuclear weapons.” – Anonymous Hiroshima survivor
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