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Power and Rebellion

Author: QianChongJun
Tutor: JiaoWenFeng
School: Yangzhou University
Course: Principles of Education
Keywords: Foucault Power Discourse Sexuality Aesthetics of Existence
CLC: D097
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2005
Downloads: 556
Quote: 2
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Abstract

Michel Foucault (1926—1984) is probably one of the greatest thinker after J-P.Sartre in France. He stands alone specially all his life, further investigate such a series of frontier branches of science as history of the psychological, history of clinical medicine , history of human science , history of penalty system and history of sex ,etc. While researching the slight and concret history which had been ignored for a long time, he has done the understanding of sbuverting to the modern western culture since Enlightenment, such a series of key concepts as the power , truth , subject, knowledge ,etc. have received deadly query and criticism and been entrusted to with different understanding in the past. We can say Foucault examine modern again with post-modern method such as archaeology , genealogy ,etc.Foucault changes his thought often, passing in and out among each discipline, so it is difficult to give him a clear role. Different from the focus which he pays attention to and the time, his thought can roughly be divided into early period, middle period , later period. The first stage was the 1960’s, he pays attention to discourse and knowledge question and this period was "archaeology" period. The second stage was、the 1970’s, he pays attention to the power question and this period was "genealogy" period. The third stage was the 1980’s, he transfers to ethics and "self- technology" question. Overview the works of each period, we can say Foucault remains the sensitivity to power throughout. Another exposition to the power concept is one of the centre clues of its thought. This article attempts to make a criticism view according to contacting Foucault’s changeable thought with power concept.After simple introduction to Foucault’s thought background and theory origin, the article concentrates on explaining its power concept, which divided into 6 parts such as power and madness, power and discourse, power and body, power and sex , power and knowledge , aesthetics of existence , correspondent to different stages of Foucault’s thought. In power and madness part, it mainly investigates Foucault’s thought in his early work " Madness and Civilization ". Foucault doesn’t think madness is a medical phenomenon but a civilization phenomenon, the mental illness history is a silence history in which the madness is being repelled and suppressed constantly by the reason. It is the beginning of a series of Foucault’s study to edge phenomenon. In power and discourse part, it mainly investigates Foucault’s thought in his archaeological period work, including three works :" The Birth Of Clinic: An Archaeology Of Medical ", "The Order Of Things: An Archaeology Of The Human Sciences", " The Archaeology Of Knowledge ". Foucault carries deep analysis and criticism on discourse with archaeologicalmethod, and reveals the rule that controls different discourse. But there is a question which separates the discourse from the power and desire by emphasizing the discourse’s preferential and independence. It is corrected somemore in his lecture " Order Of Discourse ". In power and body part, it mainly investigates Foucault’s thought in his middle period’s works " Discipline And Punish: The Birth Of The Prison ". In this periods, Foucault further investigates to the power practice with genealogy method, thus draw the conclusion: Power should not only be interpreted as the power of the country, regime, group only in terms of macroscopic, but as the micro tactics spreading over the whole society more; Power is not only the simple strength that is denied, but a kind of definite mechanism even more. In this way the power concept is explained again. But the power concept has been melt excessively, and there is certain tension in his sure assumption and suppressed analyses. In power and sex part, it mainly investigate Foucault’s thought in " The History Of Sexuality Ⅰ ".Foucault points out that sexuality is not actually a pure natural instinct, but a fulcrum of power operation and a tool of the life power. In power and knowledge part, it makes a

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