The philosophy of Foucault

183 Pages·2006·1.92 MB·English

by  Foucault

The Philosophy of
Foucault
i
Continental European Philosophy
This series provides accessible and stimulating introductions to the ideas of
continental thinkers who have shaped the fundamentals of European philo-
sophical thought. Powerful and radical, the ideas of these philosophers
have often been contested, but they remain key to understanding current
philosophical thinking as well as the current direction of disciplines such as
political science, literary theory, comparative literature, art history, and
cultural studies. Each book seeks to combine clarity with depth, introduc-
ing fresh insights and wider perspectives while also providing a comprehen-
sive survey of each thinker’s philosophical ideas.
Published titles
The Philosophy of Foucault The Philosophy of Merleau-Ponty
Todd May Eric Matthews
The Philosophy of Gadamer The Philosophy of Nietzsche
Jean Grondin Rex Welshon
The Philosophy of Habermas The Philosophy of Schopenhauer
Andrew Edgar Dale Jacquette
The Philosophy of Kierkegaard
George Pattison
Forthcoming titles include
The Philosophy of Derrida The Philosophy of Kant
Mark Dooley and Liam Kavanagh Jim O’Shea
The Philosophy of Hegel The Philosophy of Rousseau
Allen Speight Patrick Riley, Sr and Patrick Riley, Jr
The Philosophy of Husserl The Philosophy of Sartre
Burt Hopkins Anthony Hatzimoysis
ii
The Philosophy of
Foucault
Todd May
ACUMEN
iii
© Todd May, 2006
This book is copyright under the Berne Convention.
No reproduction without permission.
All rights reserved.
First published in 2006 by Acumen
Acumen Publishing Limited
15a Lewins Yard
East Street
Chesham
Bucks HP5 1HQ
www.acumenpublishing.co.uk
ISBN-10: 1-84465-056-1 (hardcover)
ISBN-13: 978-1-84465-056-9
ISBN-13: 1-84465-057-X (paperback)
ISBN-13: 978-1-84465-057-6
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Typeset in Classical Garamond by Graphicraft Limited, Hong Kong.
Printed and bound by Cromwell Press, Trowbridge.
iv
For Kathleen, David, Rachel and Joel
v
vi
Contents
Abbreviations ix
Acknowledgements xi
1 Introduction: who are we? 1
2 Archaeological histories of who we are 24
3 Genealogical histories of who we are 61
4 Who we are and who we might be 96
5 Coda: Foucault’s own straying afield 126
6 Are we still who Foucault says we are? 132
Notes 160
Further reading 164
References 165
Index 169
vii
viii
Abbreviations
AKDL The Archaeology of Knowledge and The Discourse on Language
(1972).
ALCF Abnormal: Lectures at the Collège de France, 1974–1975
(2003).
BC The Birth of the Clinic (1973).
CS The Care of the Self (1986).
CT/IH “Critical Theory/Intellectual History” (an interview with
Gerard Raulet) (1988).
DP Discipline and Punish: The Birth of the Prison (1977).
EC “The Ethics of the Concern of the Self as a Practice of
Freedom” (1997).
Gov. “Governmentality” (1991).
HFAC Histoire de la folie à l’âge classique (1972).
HS The History of Sexuality, Volume I: An Introduction (1978).
HSLCF The Hermeneutics of the Subject: Lectures at the Collège de
France 1981–1982 (2005).
IP “Intellectuals and Power” (1977).
MBPF “My Body, This Paper, This Fire” (1999).
MC Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of
Reason (1965).
NB Naissance de la biopolitique: Cours au Collège de France
1978–1979 (2004).
NGH “Nietzsche, Genealogy, History” (1977).
OGE “On the Genealogy of Ethics: An Overview of a Work in
Progress” (1984).
OT The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences
(1971).
PC “Practicing Criticism” (1988).
QM “Questions of Method” (1991).
ix