Joe Cronin and others have brought up the essay titled "The Subject &
Power" (available in the Dreyfus & Rabinow book) several times here
lately. E.g., Cronin notes:
"...n regard to the "totalizing"
conception of his own authorship he gives in "The Subject
and Power" and in a number of later interviews."
I think this is accurate to say that Foucault attempted to "totalize" or
find some underlying unity in his work-- which of course is the way to
construct "a work" --ironically at odds with his own method of reading
others. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the essay titled "The
Subject and Power" is actually two distinct essays glued together by the
editors. One was written in English for the audience of the study by
Dreyfus and Rabinow. It is accessible and somewhat simplifying. The
other was written quite a bit earlier in French for a different
audience. As you read, you'll notice that the essay suddenly gets more
dense and the tone and topic shifts noticably at that point.
Thus even this text which tries to construct a "work" is itself a
construction by the editors.
--Erick Heroux
Power" (available in the Dreyfus & Rabinow book) several times here
lately. E.g., Cronin notes:
"...n regard to the "totalizing"
conception of his own authorship he gives in "The Subject
and Power" and in a number of later interviews."
I think this is accurate to say that Foucault attempted to "totalize" or
find some underlying unity in his work-- which of course is the way to
construct "a work" --ironically at odds with his own method of reading
others. Nevertheless, it is worth noting that the essay titled "The
Subject and Power" is actually two distinct essays glued together by the
editors. One was written in English for the audience of the study by
Dreyfus and Rabinow. It is accessible and somewhat simplifying. The
other was written quite a bit earlier in French for a different
audience. As you read, you'll notice that the essay suddenly gets more
dense and the tone and topic shifts noticably at that point.
Thus even this text which tries to construct a "work" is itself a
construction by the editors.
--Erick Heroux