Philosophy of Michel Foucault
French Philosopher, Proposed Concept of Disciplinary Institutions
Oct 15, 2008
Michel Foucault's postmodernism philosophy claims that society, and all social interactions, are maintained through relations of power. He is best known for his works Madness and Civilization, Discipline and Punish: the birth of the prison, and The History of Sexuality.
Foucault uses the advent of 'the linguistic turn' as a historical retrospective or 'archaeology' in order to stress the meanings of concepts rather than the impact that these concepts make upon the world.
Early Life of Michel Foucault
Michel Foucault (October 15, 1926 - October 7, 1796) was born in Poitiers, France. He studied under Althusser at the Ecole Normale Superieure and then taught at Clermont-Ferrand and Paris. In his 40s, he was appointed chairperson in the 'history of systems of thought' at the College de France.
Foucault's Theme: Relationship of Power and Knowledge
The theme in Foucault's work is the relationship between power and knowledge, and how power is used to control and define knowledge. What authorities claim as 'scientific knowledge' are really just means of social control. He reasons how during the 18th century for example, 'madness' was used to categorize not just the mentally ill but the poor, the sick and for this matter, anyone whose expressions of individuality were not welcome. In this respect, 'madness' becomes an antithesis of 'reason,' in a way, a means of control.
Foucault's Philosophy
The philosophy of Foucault upholds that - what we take to be knowledge and the concepts through which we understand ourselves - are contingent, mutable and not historical ('ahistorical'). In other words, they do not evolve along some 'path of progress' but rather change in response to the needs of authority to control the individual's behaviour.
Discussions & Assertions
Foucault discusses his theme in his writings, for instance, the knowledge usurped in the service of authority in Discipline and Punish, the birth of the prison. In his History of Sexuality, he argues that this new emphasis in controlling the mind is continued in Sigmund Freud's psycho-analytic method, in which Freud, for instance, redefines sex as a psychological feature of the mind unlike the Middle Ages, in which sex was a bodily concern.
Recommended Works by Michel Foucault
- Madness and Civilization, 1961
- Birth of the clinic, 1963
- The Order of Things, 1966
- The Archaeology of Knowledge, 1969
- Discipline and Punish, 1975
- The History of Sexuality, 3 volumes: 1976, 1984, 1984
Sources:
Biographical Dictionary, edited by Una Mcgovern, Chambers (2002)
Dictionary of Modern Thinkers, edited by Alan Bullock and R.B. Woodings, London: Fontana, 1983
Philosophy, the Great Thinkers, by Philip Stokes, Capella (2007)
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