"Biopolitics" is a key term in contemporary intellectual debates. Even forty years after Michel Foucault coined the term, there is intense discussion in science and politics about the conditions and consequences of the governance of life processes. This reader brings together for the first time the pioneering contributions to the biopolitical discourse. It combines classic texts with current positions, providing insight into the wide range of different thematic reference points and disciplinary approaches. In this way, the volume takes an initial stock of the current debate while also presenting further perspectives.