Foucault

Born in 1926 in France, Foucault is one of those rare philosophers who has become a cult figure. Over the course of his life he dabbled in drugs, politics, and the Paris SM scene, all whilst striving to understand the deep concepts of identity, knowledge, and power. From aesthetics to the penal system; from madness and civilisation to avant-garde literature, Foucault was happy to reject old models of thinking and replace them with versions that are still widely debated today. A major influence on Queer Theory and gender studies (he was openly gay and died of an AIDS-related illness in 1984), he also wrote on architecture, history, law, medicine, literature, politics, and of course philosophy. In this Very Short Introduction Gary Gutting presents a wide-ranging but non-systematic exploration of some highlights of Foucault's life and thought. Beginning with a brief biography to set the social and political stage, he then tackles Foucault's thoughts on literature, in particular the avant-garde scene; his philosophical and historical work; his treatment of knowledge and power in modern society; and his thoughts on sexuality. This new edition includes feminist criticisms of Foucault's apparently sexist treatment of the Jouy case, as well as a new chapter offering a unified overview of the Collège de France lectures, now a major focus of interest in Foucault. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Born in 1926 in France, Foucault is one of those rare philosophers who has become a cult figure. Over the course of his life he dabbled in drugs, politics, and the Paris SM scene, all whilst striving to understand the deep concepts of identity, knowledge, and power. From aesthetics to the penal system; from madness and civilisation to avant-garde literature, Foucault was happy to reject old models of thinking and replace them with versions that are still widely debated today. A major influence on Queer Theory and gender studies (he was openly gay and died of an AIDS-related illness in 1984), he also wrote on architecture, history, law, medicine, literature, politics, and of course philosophy. In this Very Short Introduction Gary Gutting presents a wide-ranging but non-systematic exploration of some highlights of Foucault's life and thought. Beginning with a brief biography to set the social and political stage, he then tackles Foucault's thoughts on literature, in particular the avant-garde scene; his philosophical and historical work; his treatment of knowledge and power in modern society; and his thoughts on sexuality. This new edition includes feminist criticisms of Foucault's apparently sexist treatment of the Jouy case, as well as a new chapter offering a unified overview of the Collège de France lectures, now a major focus of interest in Foucault. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

By attempting a highly original merger of philosophy and history, Michel Foucault set out to revitalize philosophical reflection through several provocative analyses of the Western past. At the time of his death in June 1984, Michel Foucault had become widely known as 'the new Sartre'. By attempting a highly original and daring merger of philosophy and history, he had set out to revitalize Western philosophy with bold, provocative theses on our concepts of madness, the assumtion of science and language, our attitudes to punishment and discipline, and our ideas about sexuality. Finally, he presented new perspectives on the phenomenon of power and its relationship with knowledge. J. G. Merquior's is an uninhibited critical assessment of Foucault as 'a historian of the present'. Encompassing all his published work and a comprehensive array of secondary literature about Foucault, it appraises his philosophical background and his debts to previous thinkers such as Bachelard and Kuhn, and sketches his complex relationship to Fre

By attempting a highly original merger of philosophy and history, Michel Foucault set out to revitalize philosophical reflection through several provocative analyses of the Western past. At the time of his death in June 1984, Michel Foucault had become widely known as 'the new Sartre'. By attempting a highly original and daring merger of philosophy and history, he had set out to revitalize Western philosophy with bold, provocative theses on our concepts of madness, the assumtion of science and language, our attitudes to punishment and discipline, and our ideas about sexuality. Finally, he presented new perspectives on the phenomenon of power and its relationship with knowledge. J. G. Merquior's is an uninhibited critical assessment of Foucault as 'a historian of the present'. Encompassing all his published work and a comprehensive array of secondary literature about Foucault, it appraises his philosophical background and his debts to previous thinkers such as Bachelard and Kuhn, and sketches his complex relationship to Fre

Michel Foucault står som en af det 20. århundredes mest betydningsfulde tænkere. Alligevel har danskerne måttet undvære en fyldestgørende og tilbundsgående oversigt over hans værk. Indtil nu. Tre af landets førende Foucault-forskere er gået sammen og har skrevet det hidtil bedste bud på den ultimative, danske Foucault-biografi. Foucaults værk er ved første øjekast både flertydigt og komplekst. I Foucault skaber forfatterne imidlertid et overblik over den franske tænkers samlede værk, som ikke før har gjort sig gældende i nogen dansk introduktion. Bogen giver et helhedsbillede af forfatterskabet og fokuserer på kontinuiteten i tænkningen. Samtidig inddrager bogen nyt materiale: forfatterskabet læses i lyset af ukendte essays, artikler og interviews, som først udkom efter Foucaults død. Foucault er derfor ikke kun en grundig og detaljeret introduktion for nye læsere af Foucault. Den henvender sig også til kendere, fordi bogen giver indblik i nogle af forfatterskabets hidtil mere uudforskede sider. Hermed ombryder og korrigerer bogen det billede, som den hidtidige reception har skitseret af forfatterskabet. Et nyt billede tegnes af Foucault. Der fokuseres ikke på perioder og brud mellem værkerne, men på fællesstrækkene imellem dem. Sverre Raffnsøe er professor på Institut for ledelse, Politik og Filosofi på Copenhagen Business School og tilknyttet tidsskriftet Cultural Studies. Marius Gudmand-Høyer er cand. mag. i filosofi og klassisk filologi og underviser ved Copenhagen Business School. Morten Thaning er ph.d.-studerende med tilknytning til filosofi på Århus Universitet og Subjektivitetscenteret i København.

Giles Deleuze (1925-1995) was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris VIII. He is a key figure in poststructuralism and one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century. In "Foucault", Deleuze presents one of the most incisive and productive analyses of the work of Michel Foucault. This is a crucial examination of the philosophical foundations and principal themes of Foucault's work, providing a rigorous engagement with Foucault's views on knowledge, punishment, power, and the nature of subjectivity.

Giles Deleuze (1925-1995) was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris VIII. He is a key figure in poststructuralism and one of the most influential philosophers of the twentieth century. In "Foucault", Deleuze presents one of the most incisive and productive analyses of the work of Michel Foucault. This is a crucial examination of the philosophical foundations and principal themes of Foucault's work, providing a rigorous engagement with Foucault's views on knowledge, punishment, power, and the nature of subjectivity.

Michel Foucault står som en af det 20. århundredes mest betydningsfulde tænkere. Alligevel har danskerne måttet undvære en fyldestgørende og tilbundsgående oversigt over hans værk. Indtil nu. Tre af landets førende Foucault-forskere er gået sammen og har skrevet det hidtil bedste bud på den ultimative, danske Foucault-biografi. Foucaults værk er ved første øjekast både flertydigt og komplekst. I Foucault skaber forfatterne imidlertid et overblik over den franske tænkers samlede værk, som ikke før har gjort sig gældende i nogen dansk introduktion. Bogen giver et helhedsbillede af forfatterskabet og fokuserer på kontinuiteten i tænkningen. Samtidig inddrager bogen nyt materiale: forfatterskabet læses i lyset af ukendte essays, artikler og interviews, som først udkom efter Foucaults død. Foucault er derfor ikke kun en grundig og detaljeret introduktion for nye læsere af Foucault. Den henvender sig også til kendere, fordi bogen giver indblik i nogle af forfatterskabets hidtil mere uudforskede sider. Hermed ombryder og korrigerer bogen det billede, som den hidtidige reception har skitseret af forfatterskabet. Et nyt billede tegnes af Foucault. Der fokuseres ikke på perioder og brud mellem værkerne, men på fællesstrækkene imellem dem. Sverre Raffnsøe er professor på Institut for ledelse, Politik og Filosofi på Copenhagen Business School og tilknyttet tidsskriftet Cultural Studies. Marius Gudmand-Høyer er cand. mag. i filosofi og klassisk filologi og underviser ved Copenhagen Business School. Morten Thaning er ph.d.-studerende med tilknytning til filosofi på Århus Universitet og Subjektivitetscenteret i København.