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Michel FoucaultA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Michel Foucault (1926-1984) was a French philosopher and literary critic whose work explored systems of power, knowledge, and sexuality. Foucault’s writing mirrored the philosophical school of post-structuralism, which undermined the structuralist theory that all aspects of culture were the result of a broader system of power. Foucault’s study of history emphasized discontinuity over structuralism; he was interested in historical anomalies and rejected a linear understanding of events over time. He was highly critical of Marxism, which relied upon a structuralist understanding of power, instead embracing relativism and building upon the works of Nietzsche. Despite Foucault’s love of discontinuity, much of his work relied upon a cause-and-effect structure of historical events.
His emphasis on the disconnectedness of history reflects his personal deviation from a traditionalist culture in 20th-century France. The radical social philosopher had capitalistic roots. Foucault came from a long line of surgeons, and his father hoped that his son would carry the tradition forward. Later in life, Foucault tried to downplay his family’s wealth and socially-conservative politics; when asked about his father, Foucault called him a bully. Rejecting his father’s career, Foucault attended the University of Paris (Sorbonne), where he studied philosophy and psychology.
By Michel Foucault
Madness and Civilization
Madness and Civilization
Michel Foucault
The History of Sexuality
The History of Sexuality: Volume 1
Michel Foucault
The Order of Things
The Order of Things: An Archaeology of the Human Sciences
Michel Foucault
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