Paper On Foucault

Born in 1926, Michel Foucault has been a controversial and often discussed philosopher and author, who has undoubtedly become a relevant figure of the 20th century, embodying and discovering the century’s struggle to understand and co-exist with modernity, eventually dying for health complications to be associated with HIV – the disease that was discovered and feared at the end of the century.

His writings, as well as his political actions, lectures and travels, have had an undeniable influence on modern society, from sociological studies to international relations and even business management . Foucault has the merit of having deconstructed power and built a new framework for power’s analysis. The following paper aims to analyze his conception

As it will be discussed further in the paper, power should not be taken detached from its context, but rather it should be taken into consideration within its social structure and in relation with knowledge. However, it is also important to stress that for Foucault power is (a) productive and beneficial and (b) present at every level of the social body, macro and micro. Moreover, power “comes from below” , yet Foucault is not stating that there does not exist domination (in the case of a prison, for example, guards have a clear advantage over the prisoners), however power relations exist in all circumstances (again in the case of a prison, both groups are involved in power relations) and “domination, then, is not the essence of

As argued in Disciple and Punish, disciplinary power is created with the birth of prison, and its goal is “to produce a human being who could be treated as a ‘docile body’” . In the same context, Foucault also addresses the sovereign power exercised upon convicted criminals in the past, when atrocities were publicly carried on the bodies of those who were found guilty, and were asked to admit their actions . Eventually, Foucault realizes, most prominently in History of Sexuality that the “modern western state has integrated in a new political shape, an old power technique which originated in Christian institutions” . Pastoral power constitutes a very special mode of power, which assures the believers salvation, addresses individuals rather than only the entire community, implies a knowledge of the conscience - this form of power has little in common with other modes; however, as we shall see later, this too requires the creation of truth and mutually influences