ABSTRACT
This contribution sets out the case for seeing resilience in the context of contemporary forms of
governance. These forms of governance are understood through the notions of governmentality
and neoliberalism. This is a straightforward argument to a not so straightforward issue, since the
ambiguities of both governmentality and neoliberalism have been highlighted in recent discus-
sions. Nevertheless, this piece follows Walker and Cooper in claiming an intuitive ideological fit
with a neoliberal philosophy of adaptation (Walker and Cooper, 2011, p. 154) and examines
this philosophy of adaptation through a governmentality lens. This is justified on the basis of
the rationality underlying most resilience discourse and on the basis of the various technologies
and techniques that resilience helps to sustain. Starting with the philosophical underpinnings, this
chapter suggests that resilience presents a particular vision of the world and our place within it that
is consistent with neoliberal governance. In particular, it presents an ontology that deprives
human agency of the potential to influence the wider world and which focuses attention instead
on our ability to govern ourselves. The discussion then moves to the various technologies and
techniques that fit with this approach to self-governance. This position is defended against
alternative views, whilst recognising that there is certainly something new about resilience that
has a modifying effect on existing discourse and practice.
