Homo Sacer

"Homo Sacer" is a concept from political philosophy referring to a person who is excluded from legal protections and social rights, yet can be killed without legal consequence. Originating from ancient Roman law, it highlights how some individuals are deemed outside the normal moral or legal order—those who can be sacrificed or used without protection. Giorgio Agamben, who developed this idea further, uses it to explore how states and authority sometimes designate certain people as "bare life," emphasizing the precariousness of human rights in political systems.