A Foucault Primer: Discourse, Power And The SubjectWho are we today? That deceptively simple question continued to be asked by the French historian and philosopher, Michel Foucault, who for the last three decades has had a profound influence on English-speaking scholars in the humanities and social sciences.; This text is designed for undergraduates and others who feel in need of some assistance when coming to grips with Foucault's voluminous and complex writings. Instead of dealing with them chronologically, however, this book concentrates on some of their central concepts, primarily Foucault's rethinking of the categories of "discourse", "power", and " the subject".; Foucault's writings contribute collectively to what he himself calls "an ontology of the present". His historical research was always geared towards showing how things could have been and still could be otherwise. This is especially the case with respect to the production of human subjects. |
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ancient Greek aphrodisia approaches Archaeology of Knowledge archive associated bodily bourgeois called century characterise Christian concept of discourse concept of power concern confessional consciousness constituted contemporary continuous critical critique cultural desires Diprose disciplinary power Discipline and Punish discontinuity discourse analysis domination economic effects Ethnomethodology example exercise existence feminist forces Foucault argues function history of ideas History of Sexuality human sciences human subjects individual intervention language London male marriage Marxism material McNay means mechanisms of power medicine modem moral natural normalisation notion objects one’s oneself ontology operations Order of Things Panopticon particular pederasty period philosophical Plato Plutarch position possible power relations problem production progressive politics proper question relationship repressed rethinking rules scientific sexual ethics sexual pleasure shift simply social body soul specific speech act statements strategies structural linguistics structuralist struggle studies texts themes theory thinking thought traditional transformations truth types women