Distributed for Seagull Books
The Human Voice
An inquiry into the origins of language and articulation, exploring how the transformation of the human voice shaped history, politics, and thought.
What does it mean to have a voice—and how does it shape what it means to be human? In The Human Voice, Giorgio Agamben embarks on a profound exploration of how the human voice transforms from mere sound into meaningful articulation, setting humans apart from the animal world. Tracing this transformation through ancient grammar and the history of writing, he unpacks the intricate relationship between voice and language, and the living being and the speaking subject.
Through a meticulous philosophical inquiry, Agamben reconstructs the mechanisms by which articulation turns expression into knowledge, revealing how the voice is the way we define humanity. This study reaches beyond linguistics, touching on politics and history, as it interrogates the enduring question of what—and who—is considered fully human.
What does it mean to have a voice—and how does it shape what it means to be human? In The Human Voice, Giorgio Agamben embarks on a profound exploration of how the human voice transforms from mere sound into meaningful articulation, setting humans apart from the animal world. Tracing this transformation through ancient grammar and the history of writing, he unpacks the intricate relationship between voice and language, and the living being and the speaking subject.
Through a meticulous philosophical inquiry, Agamben reconstructs the mechanisms by which articulation turns expression into knowledge, revealing how the voice is the way we define humanity. This study reaches beyond linguistics, touching on politics and history, as it interrogates the enduring question of what—and who—is considered fully human.
120 pages | 5.5 x 7.75 | © 2025
Philosophy: Logic and Philosophy of Language, Philosophy of Mind, Political Philosophy

Table of Contents
The Human Voice
1. Vocative
2. The Human Voice
3. What is in the Voice?
4. Human Nature
The Voice as Philosophical Problem
Bibliography
1. Vocative
2. The Human Voice
3. What is in the Voice?
4. Human Nature
The Voice as Philosophical Problem
Bibliography
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