The Passion of Michel Foucault

492 Pages·1994·7.212 MB·English

by  James Miller

ALSO BY JAMES MILLER
"Demcorcya Isi nth eS treets"
FromP ort Hutroothn eS iegoefC hicgao
RoussaeuD:re amerD emofo cracy
Histryo aHnudm aEnx iscteen­
From MatrxoM erlaeu-Ponty
The--
--
PASSION
of
MICHEL
FOUCAULT
JamesM iller
Simon & Schusetr
NewY orkL ondoTno ronto
SydneTyo kyoS ingapore
SIMON& SCHUSTER
Simo&n S chusBtueirl ding
RockefeClelnetre r
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Copyr©i g1h99t3b yJ ameEs.M iller
Alrli ghrtess erved
inclutdhireni gg ohfrt e production
inw holoeri np aritna nyfo rm.
SIMO&N SCHUTSERa ndc olopahrorene gisttreardeedm arks
ofS imo&n S chusItnecr.
DesigbnyeP deL io Kio ay
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Parotfs" BeC ruefilr!s"at p peaarse" dCa rnivoafAl tsr ocFiotuyc:a Nuilett,z ,s che
CrueltPyo"l iiTtnhi ecoaCrylo, p yrig1h9t9 S0©a gPeu blicaItcni.ro,en psr,i bnyt ed
permisPsairootnf"s. T hSee croefat M sa nfi"r satp peairnSe adl maguCnodpiy,r ight
© 1990b yS kidmCoorlel ege, brype eprrmiinstPseaidro otnf"s. T hHee aLrati Bda re"
firsatp peairnGe rda nSdt reCeotp,y r©i g1h9t19N ewY orFko undaftoitroh nAe r ts,
Icn,.G ranSdt reetr ePprreisbnsytp, ee dr mission.
Thee xcerfrpotm"s eL m ortel paarntde nfra"oiPmra er"tf aogrem, e#"lXX IIb,oh tb y
RenCeh a,frr omC harS'esu ldeesm euarnednL tap aroelnae r chiaprreeel p,r ibnyt ed
permisosfEi doint iGoanlsl imCaorpdy.r© i gEhdti tiGoanlsl im1a49r5ad n d1 962.
Thee xcefrropmt "BTeDo o nwei tthh Jeu dgmoefnG to d"A bnyto nAirnt afruodm,
ArtauSde'lseW crtietdii nsrg esp,r ibnypt eerdm isosfGi eoonr Bgoersc haIrndCcto.,p y­
righEtd©i tiGoanlsl im1a9r5d16 69,1 1,69 41,9 61669,7 1,9 61979,0 1,79 11,79 4;
translCaotpiyor©ni g1h79t6 b y FaSrtrraarau,ns dG iruox.
C O N T E N T S
Prefac5e
1 THE DEATH OF THE AUTHOR 13
2 WAITINGF OR GODOT 37
3 THE HEART LAIDB ARE 66
4 THE CASTLEO F MURDERS 94
5 INT HE LABYRINTH 123
6 BE CRUEL! 156
7 AN ART OF UNBEARABLES ENSATIONS2 08
8 THE WILLT O KNOW 245
9 THE DISTANTR OAR OF BATTLE 285
10 THE SCRIPTINOGF THE SELF 319
11 THE SECRETSO F A MAN 354
Postscri37p5t
AN oteS oocunera sn Tdra nsliaotn3s87
AbbreviioatUnsse idnN ote3s9 1
Note3s9 3
Acknoewgdlmen4t6s5
Inde4x71
PR EFA C E
Thibso koi sn oatb iographtyh,uo ghi no ulitne it fotlhlceoh wsro noglyo
ofM icheFlou caul'st life;n or isi ta comprehenssuivrevyeo fh isw orks,
alhtoughi t dooffeersa ni nterprettiaoonfa g retam any ofh ist extIsti. ,s
rathera, n arrativaecc ountof o nem an's lifesltornuggg lteo h onor
Nietzsec'shg nomiicnj unctio"nt,bo e comweh ato ne is."
Througah bleonfad ne cdoatnede xegesIhi asev,a pproacheFdou cault's
writinagsi fi tex presasp eodw erfudle sitroer ealaic zeer tafoinrm ofli e;f
andh ilsi efa si fi t embodsiuesdt aaia nnedpd a rtlilsay uccessefufoflr t to
tumt hidse sire irneiattloy I.n at hsep iroifat n i nvesgtatiivjeo urniasltI,
haevg atheriendfo rmataiboonuv atri ouass pecotfFs o ucual'stl ieft hath aev
beehn ihtertou ndocunmteeadn ,d therelaforgreley,u nxeamineIdn.t he
spiriotfa ni ntellechtiusatalon riI,h aevs ketchtehdbe ro adecru ltuaranld
social cownittheixwnth ich ltiehfu insfo ldeAdn.di n tshpeir oifat l iterary
crtiicIh, a evh ighglhtied haa nfudlo fr ecruretnf anatsiaens di magaiitnve
obsessitohantgs a vae charaecrtisctoilco arn dm oodt ob otFho ucault's
composteedx atnsd e verydalyie f.M y aimh asb eetno c ojnuruep " neither
thpeu erg rammaticsauljb ecntor t hdee epps ycohlogiscuajble c"ta ,sF ou­
caulhti mseolnfc peu ti t",bu tra thetrh eo new ho says' I't hiewn o rks,
thele ttetrhsed,r ftas,t hes ketchtehspe, e sronasle cre"1t s.
WhenI s tartteod woornkt hibso ok 1i98n7 ,t hryeeea rasft eFro ucault
diedI, w asw arned by onee xperttht am y tiem woulbde w astedH.is
paperwse rei ncacessihbilsfre i;e ndwso ulndo tt almky; inuqiryw ould
provefu tile.
Sincteh en, uosneefub li goraphyo fFo ucaultb,y DidEiriebro nh,a s
alreya adppearaendd,s tialln ohter, Dabviyd M acey, wbaesi npgrp eared
asI wroteT.o m y own surpirse, I wtaost aaltbkol a e g retam anyo f
Foucaul'stfr iendsIh; a ev learned dae agalob ooduh tili sf ea,n db eeanb le
5
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Preface
toc onsumlotr et haonn era red ocumetn.Id on otfee lm y timeh asb een
waste2d .
Stililn,o nes ensteh,eexp ertw ho warned me wriagsht .T he time is
notrip efo ra definitbiivoeg rapTohoy .m anyw itnessheasev y ett os hare
altlha tt hekyn ow. Ewvoersne t,o moa nyd ocumtesrn emaiunn pbulished.
Beforhei sd eathi n1 984,Fo ucauldte stroayg erde tam anyo fh ipse r­
sonal paipnhe irswis;l lh,e p rohibitthpeeod s tuhmosup ublicaotfai noyn
paperhsem igthh avoev erlooaknedds ;oEa r,Fo ucaulth asye tto find his
MaxB rodT.ho ugha centfoerrr esearchhearsbs e eens tablisihnPe adr is,
ithso ldingasr ei ncomplAett et.th iem Iew aswri ting,h isva riouses says
andi nterviewwesr ewi deyl scatteirnae ndu mbero fd iffertel nanggueas
inp ubilcationtsha tw eres omeitmehsa rtdo l ocaTthee.p romiseFdr ecnh
publicationo fF oucaultco'sm plestheo rtweorr ksa ndi ntersvii enwc hron­
ologiocradle r ewivleltn ulalyta rnsformt heu nedrstandingo fh isw ork.
Bute vent henm,o rem ateriawill lr emaitno b es tuidedH.i sl ongtime
compnaio,nD aniDeelef rth,a sFo ucaultn'so tebooaknsdj ournaalsn, da lso
hisp ersonalli braryA.t l eaosnte perhsaosan p artimaal nusrcitpo ft he
voulmeo np erverstihaotFon u caultd rfatefodr t heori ginavles rioonf h is
Hitsoryo fS exuitya;lb uthe h asn ots howni tt om e for thgeo odr esaon
thatF oucauletxp licyi atslkehdi mt op rominseeev r too wis tht oa nyoen.
Andt heriesm oree:v eryy eart hta wIa sa tw orkI,d iscovenreewdd o c­
umenst,s ome oft hemi llicaintdu nuahtorizeIdk .n owo fn o other con­
temporpahryi losopherw owrhkho aspsero mptesdu hc flao urishinbgla ck
markeitnb otoletagp er ecrodingasn dfr eealnec tarncsritpionosfp ublic
lecteusm,ra nyh oardedj ealloyub syc ollectors.
The secondlairyt eratounrF eou caulti sb,y c otnarsta,l togetthoeor
extensiAvney.o ntee mptteodm asteirtw oulddo ubtlessso ogni vuep ,o ut
ofa c ombitniaoonfb oredoamn dfa tgiuea ltogeattoh dedrws i tthh iem pcat
left Fobuyc aultw'so rki tsel£ oIrnd etrom ovefo rwardIfo, u ndi tu seful
toa dopat k indo fs tuidedi gonranec.I wasi nclitnoea dpp roacht he
liefworak sn avielays p ossibdleel,i bteerlwiayt hholdijnuggd menta nd
takinngo htinfogr g ranted.
Therew eraen umbero fo theorb staclaensdp otetnipailta fllsw,h ich it
isj usats w eltlo p oitno u.tC onsidfoerrex ,a mplet,h edi lemma oft rying
tow ritae n arartivaec ocunotf s omeoen who qusetionrepede,at edlayn d
sytsemtaicya,tl lhvea luoef o ld-fashiiodneeaadsb outth e" authors"o;m e­
one whor aisetdh eg ravesotf d oubst aboutth ec haractoefpr e rsonal
idetinyt ass uchs;o meonweh o,a sa matteorft empaemretn,d isutrsted
prying qusetioannsd n akehdo nseyt;s omeonfien,la lyw,h o wasn ever­
theleisnsc litnoes de e his owna swo,on sr ok mel evealut,ob iograhpical.
-- 6 --
Preface
A preafce isn ott hep lacet og raplpew iht them anyc omplexi ssues
raisebdy F oucaultv'si ewosn s uhc matterIst.i se nought os ay tihna t,
thee ndI,w asfo rcetdo ascriFboueca ulttao p erstiestna ndp urposeful
selif,nh aibitngo nea ndt hesa meb oyd throuhgouhti sm ortalifle ,m ore
orl escso nsisyt aeccnotlutninfogr h isa citonasn da ttitudteoos t ehrsa s
welals t oh imsealnfd,u nderstanhdiilsin efga sa teleollolgsyit crcautuerd
quset( ori,n Fr ench,r echerche).
Itm ayb et hatt ellFoiungca ults'st oryi nt hiwsa yb etraysh isd epeest
teachiinmtga sy;b ea,s t hpeh ilosoAplhaesrd Maaicri ntyrreec etlyna grued,
thatt heap paretnn eedt oa pproache veFno ucaultb ya scribtiohn igm a
persistta enndp urposefusle lbf,e hianldhl i msa skasn do utwarcdh anges
ofb eliaenfd behavior,a crreuvcealimliaisl ta itono f hpihsi lpohsyo;o ri t
mayb e-asI beliee-vthtaFo ucaulhti msenlefv ehre ltdh eu ltitmeyal
inceorhetnk indo fv iewasb outth ed eatohf tahueht ora ndt hed isap­
pearanceo ft hese ltfh taM acitynreri ghtlrye je3ct s.
Thei suseo fp esronaild entdioteyns o ,t aleaxshu,as tth mee thdoological
counnrdumsfa cinagn yonweh o writaebs outth imso stu nyieldoifn g
modem sketpicFosr. Foucaulta lscoa lliendt qou setiotnh ec ocnepto f
"tru"it thseslufgg,est intgha ta lolfh is ohwni tsoriscatlu idewse rei,ns ome
sensweo,r kosf " ficti"o4n .
Thisa,ga ni,i s ntohtpel acteoa ddretssh e mainntye resatnindpg e rhaps
inatcrtalbei ssues posFoeudca ublyto 'swn approacthoh isritoography.
Buti tis w isteo s taete xplitcliwyh at" gmaeo ft rut"th o,b orrowF oucault's
phrasIet ,h inIka mp laying.
Inw hatfo llowIsh ,a vaed heretdo t hec ovnentioofnms o dem schol­
arshicph,e ckimnygh unchesa ndl eaposfi magaiitnoang aintshtae v ailable
evidencIhe a.ev i ncluadneex dt ensiavpep atruaosf e ndontesd,o cumteinng
the soucreo fe veryc ittaioann de verya necdoteexp,l oriunngc ertatiines
ande alboraitngq uailficatiwohnesr aep proprtieaA.t e verys tepI,h ave
prized simplyi caintds trugglteoda chievcelr aitoyf exp ressoin,e ven
thuoghI a m oftend ealing cwoimtphl exi deaasn ds omeitmehs ermeitc
practAibcoesv.ae l Ilh ,a vter iteotd e tlhlte r u5t h.
The truitnhd,e ehda,sp resteend me mwiyt mho std ififcuplrotb lems.
As readerwisll soonen oughd iscovtehrec, r uoxf w hati sm osto rigianl
andc hlalengainbgo uFotu cault'swa yo ft hinkiansIg s ,e e .iihtsi, su n­
relentdienpegl,ya mbiguosu andp rofoundlyp roblemaptrieco ccupation
withd eat,wh hich exphleo rend ootn yl int heex toerfoircm o fh iwsr iting,
butal saon,d I b eliecvriet ilcalyi,nt hee soteforrimc o fs ado-massotcihci
eroticiTshmo.u ghFo ucaulhti mseslpfo kfrea nklya boutth iass peocfth is
lifIes ,o meitmehsa dt ow ondewrh,i lIew as writing myw hebtohoeIkr ,
-- 7 --
Preface
wasb ehviangl ikseo men o-ts-oGrandI nquisitoArs.a nA mericacnri tic
hasa ctuelrye mark"eidan, c ultutrhaetwi thouetv ecre asitnopg r oleirtfae
homosexuamle aniknngo wsh ow tcoo nfinieta ,sw elli nc ollectivities as
individtuoa klais n,d faolfsu en conscitohuesri,esh ardlay procedfourr e
bringionugtt h imse anintgha td oes'ntl oookr f eell ike mjoursetp olice
entrapemnt".6
And thatw asn ott hee nd oft hpero blemrasi sebdy t elltihnget rtuh.
To mamkeat etrsw orseA,I DSe ntereidn ttoh es toryc,a stianp ga llo ver
every paIwg reo teg,i vitnhgi lsie f taw itshat tw asn otat a ltlh et witshtta
I woulhda ev hopefodr .T he facttha tm y bookwa s writteann,dw ill
atfi rstb er eda,i nt hseh daowo fa p lgauem,a keista ll t oeoa sy dtiosu cnot
thpeo ssiyb itlhtiaFo tucaulti,nh isra dicaaplp roacht hebt ooy d andi ts
pleasuwraess,i nfa ct kai nodf vi sionaaryn;dt htai nt hfue ture, coetn he
thrteo afA IDS hasr ecedmede,na ndw omen, bostthrag ihta ndg aywi,l l
reenw,wi thoustha meo rf eart,h eki nodf c orporeexaple riemntattihaotn
formed ani ntegrapla rotf h ios wn philosopqhuisecta.l
Stinlolp, ro fessioonfg oodfai tcha nd efusweh atis volatainldpe e rhaps
tragiicn t hel ief thatfo llowYse.t d epsitteh em any dangoefsr cs,a ndal
andr eductioonfiu snmc,o nscsitoeurse otypianngdp ruritse ennsational­
is-mandl asbtu tno t leoafos ffetri,n gfr esha mmuniiotnt oc rithiocsistl e
to everytFohuicanugl tf ougthfo r-Ih aev gonea haed,a ndt riedt ot ell
thew holet rutahsb, e sItc ould.
Parto fm y purposei s old-fashtieolnletidhn:get ruthw haitsw riters
ofh istoarryes upposteodd o.
Anohterp art eqiusla yls tratifgohrwatrhduo,g ha lithtaldere rt oj us­
tiy-fthjeu sitficatiino nm awnayy si st heb ooaks a wholeF.o r beotrt er
worsMei,c hFeolu caulits o neo ft hree psreetnativmee n-anod utsatnding
thinsk-eorft het wetniectehtn uryH.i sl ief andt he texts he arwreo te
intrictaeliynt ertewdiin nw ayst hatpr ovmeu tuallyi llumtiinnaTgh.e refore,
a recotuinnogf h isl ief ina lolfi tsp hilosopdhiimceanls iohnos,we ver
shockinsgo meo ft hesmea ys eemi,sn oto nyl warrantedb,u tes sential.
Stialnloh terp arotf trheesa onfo r thibso oki sm orep ersonaIla .m
someoen who holdst hen ote ntirehlayp pyc ovincitont hatt heriesn o
Aritsotelmeeaannn ,o P ltaoniidce oaft hgeo odn,om oralc ompaismsp licit
ino ura biltiotyr easo,na ndn or egultaivied eaolfc onsentshautsc ould
helpu st os mooht awayt her ougehd geosf c ompetifonrmgs ofl iefa nd
enablues to reconctihleei irn commensuracbllaei mTsh.e refore,
Nietzsec'shp hilosohpahsay l awysb eefno mre a p uzzalne dap rovocation,
ifo nyl becausien,t ermso fi tsi nnelro giwch,i cIhh avyee tt os eree futed,
-- 8 --
Preface
I cfiannd no ewaayst yor uloeu tth seo rotf craunedml u rderoupsr actices
embracebdy s omeo fh isfo llowers.
Wha ti tmi gthm ean,a fteAru schwitzt,ol ivael ieft huoghtfulyl "byeond
gooda nde viisl,"i ns horwto,r tfihn dinogu .tA ndw hatb ettweary t han
tos tuyd thlei efo ft hem osrte ovlutiryo-naand dpeleys erious-p-oosft ­
warN ietzsecanhs?
Thiso,f c ousrei,s b yn om eantsh eo nyl wayt oa pporacFho ucaul'st
workH.i sb ooklso nagg om ade theiwary i nttoh ew orld, coimntion g
contawictth other ofifee xpledrise ncoet,h etryp eso fi ntelelnicget,o
flouirsho rfa lli nt hec lasohfi deaAss .i st ruoef a nyfa shionafibgulree ,
a gretad eaolf n onsenhsaesb eens aida,n dd onei,n h isn ameB.u th e
equlaldye st;rsveosme m easuorfec redfoirti nformingi,fn ohtinegl saen,
impressivvarei ye otfp atbhreakihnigs torico-phisltousidoepsfoh:ri ex c­al
ampleP,e teBrr own'sg retar eexamintaioonfs exuarle unnciatiionen ar ly
Christniiyat,T hBeo yda nSdo icyeP;tau lV eyne'sa ccounotfc lassRiocmaaln
institutBironeasa ndiCdn i rcIaunsH eacsk;i'sn h gistoofrys tatistsitcyalle s
ofr easoniTngh,Te a mionfCg h anFcrame;;oiE swa l'sds tuyd ofw ormkan's
compensatainodhn ea lht iunrasnec inn ienetetnh-cetnuryF racne,T he
ProviSadtteAenn.tdt hiissj ustth ebe ignninga loofna gn dg rowinlgi st.
Buts uhc stduiedse,ps itdee monrsattitnhgpe o wero fF oucaul'st texts
toi nspire eaxncdio rtiiignngas lc hoslahripd,on o,tfi nlalyp,u tus i nt ouch
withw hati sm osts ingu-laanrdp erhaps dmisoqsute iitng-baoutt he
philoseor'sp whorka sh eh imsealtf,t hee ndo fh isl ifienvi, tedu st o
undesrtandi t.
''.Ate verym oments,t ebpy s te"ph ,er emarkiend1 983," oen must
confronwhta to nei st hinkianngds ayiwingt hw hato nei sd oinwgh,a t
whato nei"sA.n dth irse qiureexasm inintgh fues ioonr,p erhacposn fusion,
ofc oncept exainsdt eonfcd er,e aam ndr eliayt,j usats F oucaulhti mself
suggeste"dT:hk ee yt ot hpee sronaploe taitcti tuodfae p hilosoipshn eort
tob e usgohti nh iisd eaassi, f i tc ouldb ed educfreodm themb,u rat ther
inh ipsh iloso-pahlsyi-fien,h ipsh ilosoplhiifcheai,lse tho"s7.
Thisb ookt,h enis,a ''pilhosophilcieaf-"ld edicattoet dh me emory of
MicheFolu cault.
9
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