What does the infamous face transplant in France in 2005 share with the examination of "swollen faces" in Latin America in the 1930s? What does blood transfusion in Europe during the 17th century have in common with the discovery of mosquitoes as parasitic vectors in China at the close of the 19th century? And, last, how does the reconstruction of noses using skin flaps in Bologna in the 16th century relate to the opening of a forehead cyst in Guatemala in 1916? The six essays that form Figures of Medicine present a wealth of symmetries. Francois Delaporte shows that each...

One can love and not forgive or out of love decide not to forgive. Or one can forgive but not love, or choose to forgive but not love the ones forgiven. Love and forgiveness follow parallel and largely independent paths, a truth we fail to acknowledge when we pressure others to both love and forgive. Individuals in conflict, sparring social and ethnic groups, warring religious communities, and insecure nations often do not need to pursue love and forgiveness to achieve peace of mind and heart. They need to remain attentive to the needs of others, an alertness that prompts either love or...

This is the first English translation of Helmuth Plessner's seminal work Political Anthropology (1931). In it, he outlines the anthropological foundations of the political and, in critical dialogue with Carl Schmitt, Eric Voegelin, and Martin Heidegger, seeks to dignify the political as a domain in which power enhances life.