Risk, Uncertainty and Government

Both risk and uncertainty are neo-liberal concepts, which can be viewed as complementary techniques for governing diverse aspects of life, rather than natural states of things. This new book examines the way these constructs govern the production of wealth through ‘uncertain’ speculation and ‘calculable’ investment formulae. The way in which risk and uncertainty govern the minimisation of harms through insurance and through the uncertain practices of ‘reasonable foresight’ is also discussed. It looks at the way these same techniques were historically forged out of moral and social beliefs about how to govern properly. Also analysed is how, during this process, ideas such as ‘contract’ and distinctions between insurance and gambling were invented to order to ‘properly’ govern the risky and uncertain future.

Author Biography

Pat O’Malley has been a leading commentator on risk and government for the past decade. He has researched the area at Australian, British and North American universities, and has served on many government committees in the field. Recently he was appointed to a Canada Research Chair with a brief to continue investigations into the ‘risk society’.