In her book SecurityProtection from threats, harm, or danger. (2009), British legal scholar and criminologist Lucia Zedner offers a normatively sensitive, interdisciplinary, and conceptually precise analysis of the notion of security. She shows that “security” is not an objective or neutral good, but rather a complex social construction that is mobilized differently in politics, criminal law, and society. Zedner’s work is a key contribution to Critical Security Studies and a foundational critique of the shifts in security politics under the sign of prevention, risk, and control.
Key Points
Security by Lucia Zedner
Main author: Lucia Zedner
First published: 2009
Country: United Kingdom
Core idea: Security is not a neutral good but a politically contested concept that legitimizes new forms of state control and legal expansion in the age of prevention.
Relevant topics: Prevention, Risk, Criminal Law, Security State, Human RightsFundamental rights and freedoms to which all human beings are entitled, regardless of nationality, gender, or social status.
Related key works: Garland – The Culture of Control, Harcourt – Against Prediction, Simon – Governing Through Crime
From Punishment to Prevention
A central concern of Zedner’s work is the historical shift in how societies deal with uncertainty. While classical criminal justice focuses on acts already committed and individual guilt, Zedner shows that contemporary security policy operates increasingly preventively: risk assessments, predictive models, and preemptive interventions replace the reactive logic of crime control. This preventive turn leads to a significant expansion and loosening of state powers – through preventive detention, anti-terror legislation, and proactive policing strategies.
This shift from reactive to prospective rationality has profound consequences: it alters legal principles, reconfigures the relationship between citizens and the state, and weakens core values such as the presumption of innocence or proportionality.
Security – for Whom?
Zedner emphasizes that security is never neutral: it is always selective – socially, legally, and symbolically. Certain groups (e.g., migrants, youth, political dissidents) are more likely to become targets of preventive interventions, while others remain largely untouched. As such, security policies not only create safety but also generate new forms of social exclusion and control.
At the same time, Zedner questions the normative implications of a “security society” in which risk is no longer seen as an inherent part of social life but as a threat to be eliminated. Who defines what counts as a threat? Who benefits from the rhetoric of insecurity? And how can we imagine a society that protects both security and freedom?
The relationship between freedom and security has changed dramatically in recent decades. From the 1970s to the 1990s, liberal democracies focused on protecting citizens from state overreach – through civil liberties, data protection laws, and judicial oversight.After the attacks of September 11, 2001, this focus shifted significantly. Security is now treated as a super-value, and the threat of invisible, unpredictable dangers (“unknown unknowns”) justifies surveillance, preemptive measures, and expanded state powers. Politicians and media reinforce this shift through security discourses that dramatize uncertainty and position security as the state’s highest priority. What was once meant as protection from the state has been reinterpreted as protection by the state – with far-reaching consequences for civil liberties, legal norms, and public trust.
The Ethics of Security
Zedner’s work is not just descriptive but also deeply normative. She calls for an ethical foundation of security policy grounded in democratic principles, the rule of law, and civil rights. Security must not be treated as a purely technocratic task but should remain politically legitimate and legally accountable.
She is especially critical of the notion of the “security continuum” – the idea that all areas of life, from schools and airports to the internet, fall under security logics. Within this framework, security becomes the justification for virtually any form of state intervention.
Position within Critical Security Studies
Security is closely linked to the work of David Garland, Jonathan Simon, and Bernard Harcourt. While Garland describes the cultural climate of insecurity and Harcourt critiques the risks of predictive justice, Zedner focuses on the legal and political consequences of the security paradigm. Her book combines criminal law critique with social theory and political philosophy – offering a vital counterpoint to the instrumental logic of many security discourses.
Contemporary Relevance
Zedner’s arguments remain highly relevant. In an age of algorithmic risk assessment, biometric border controls, and digital self-monitoring, the normative foundation of security policy demands renewed attention. Whether in asylum policy, public health, or cybersecurity, it becomes clear that security is not a purely technical goal but an ethical-political field of tension. Zedner reminds us that security must not be pursued at any cost – and certainly not without freedom.
Reception and Critique
Zedner’s position has been widely received and further developed – particularly in debates on counter-terrorism law, actuarial justice, and human security. Some critics argue that her normative claims lack practical operationalization. Nevertheless, the book is considered a landmark for anyone concerned with the limits of preventive security policy – in both legal and sociopolitical contexts.
Conclusion
Lucia Zedner’s Security is a theoretically rich, empirically informed, and normatively reflective contribution to the field of critical security studies. It shows how “security” has become a cipher for major societal transformations – with far-reaching consequences for criminal law, freedom, and democracy. The book addresses readers who see security not as a technical fix but as a political-ethical challenge.
References
- Zedner, Lucia (2009): Security. London: Routledge.
Video
Lucia Zedner’s lecture on „Risk, security and terrorism„
