Michel Foucault's Devotion PDF

The Devotion of Michel Foucault Dr. Gbenga Adejare “The development of scientific knowledge” is inseparable from "changes in the ways power operates” (Foucault,1978-b:533) Background: His life A French philosopher-historian, born on October 15, 1926 He was raised by his bourgeoise parents who gave h...

The Devotion of Michel Foucault Dr. Gbenga Adejare “The development of scientific knowledge” is inseparable from "changes in the ways power operates” (Foucault,1978-b:533) Background: His life A French philosopher-historian, born on October 15, 1926 He was raised by his bourgeoise parents who gave him upper-class standard education. He was thought to a doctor, but he had a different ambition. He had some peculiar personal challenges that spurred him to focus on history, psychiatry, and biology. He became a professor of the History of Systems of Thought at the prestigious College de France in 1969 until his death. He died of AIDS at the age of 57 on June 25, 1984 Background: His Work Among others, his popular books include: The Birth of the Clinic The Birth of Biopolitics Ethics: Subjectivity and Truth Aesthetics, Method, and Epistemology The Politics of Truth Religion and Culture Etc. Background: How to think of Foucault The fusion of Theory and Method is central to Foucauldian analysis Foucault's primary focus was on rethinking how knowledge and power interface to shape economies. He interrogated key concepts like governmentality, genealogy, biopower, and other issues around sexuality He sought total freedom for his readers were free to make of his work whatever they would. o “I do not write to a public, I write to users, not to readers” (Foucault, 1974-a, 1391). Methodically, Foucault introduced “blind empiricism” (Foucault 1977:404): Unlike structuralists, he does not define a general method that could be applied to a range of objects including language, myths, architecture, religion, etc. What interests Foucault is a much narrower problem, namely, “the truth/power, knowledge/power relationship”. Background: How to think of Foucault cont’d Foucault has been referred to as a poststructuralist with a tinge of Marxism. He acknowledges that The Order of Things was “a kind of formal exercise” (Foucault, 1980-b:886) He would rather not be referred to as a strict exegete even though he laid a very strong foundation for contemporary theorizing method Foucault indicates that his ideas are “a kind of toolbox”(Foucault, 1974-a: 1391). Reading or “using” Foucault involves technical application – adaptive search for local, particular and applied analyses. Background: How to think of Foucault cont’d Foucault’s treatise is commonly regarded as a set of critical theses on political economy – against certain theories like modernism humanism, neoliberalism. Eventually, his work favoured other “postmodern” theories (Vallois: 2015:29) Perhaps the originality of Foucault lies precisely in the conjunction of these two principles: the rejection of ideological critiques on the one hand, and the presence of political purposes on the other hand. Inspiration from Marx Both Marx and Foucault were interested in inequality and power relations but did not agree on their approaches. For Marx, the structure of capitalism was the main threat to equity and utopian realities. The old system had to be broken down and replaced For Foucault, contemporary society is controlled by individuals While contemporary individuals are a product of the society through internalization, individuals perpetuate their own domination. contemporary society combines knowledge and power as a means for social control – “ knowledge is power ” There was consensus on how “false consciousness” has become prominent such that, for Foucault, power becomes more subtle - we cannot act outside power Inspiration from Friedrich Nietzsche At 27 intense dissatisfaction plunged Foucault into itinerant adventurist made him escape leave France to Sweden, Poland and Germany where he thought he could freely express his sexuality. He came across a book by Nietzsche title "On the Use and Abuse of Power" in Italy in 1953. This encountered marked a significant point in Foucault's life. Some Important Foucauldian Concepts Deinstitionalization: This, according to Foucault, refers to a process which begun in the 1960 and made possible by new drugs treatments, in which many psychiatric institutions were closed and the vast majority of patients who were released were left to their own devices to survive I the lager society. Biopolitics: The social control of life which takes two forms – control over the body of a human and population control Normalizing Judgement: Those in power follow their whims and caprices to set societal norms violation of which will attract punishment Examination: This involves the process of observing subordinates to ascertain compliance. Some Important Foucauldian Concepts cont’d Carceral Archipelago: This is a projection or an image that the awareness of discipline is saturating in the entire society. Microphysics of Power: This an idea that power exists at the micro level and involves efforts to exercise it as well as efforts to contest its exercise. Panopticon: A structure that allows someone in power (e.g., a jailer) the freedom to observe its subjects (e.g., the jailed) Disciplinary Society: This is a society where control over people is normalized. Hierarchical Observation: This refers to the ability of officials at or near the top of an organization to oversee all that they control with a single gave. Conclusion Foucault’s reflections on his own material seem to justify any interpretations of his works, as he supports the notion that each of his books must be read for itself, There is no need to read Foucault according to this narrowly Foucauldian perspective or to conduct a Foucauldian Archaeology of the author “Michel Foucault”. Theoretically problems of the past must be raised based on practical problems to make sense of present situations For Foucault, sociological critiques of science are not adequate because theories are understood as ideologies, i.e., false theories, the role of which is to mask and legitimate the social relations of power and domination. Reflection Question Using relevant examples, how might Foucault’s method be adapted to study any contemporary society of your choice? Foucault keeps saying that knowledge and power are intertwined, but he does not investigate the causal mechanisms between theories and practices. Hence, the idea is that Foucault’s approach played a pioneering role but still needed to be completed or continued. Suggest ways by which this might be achieved