Bryan Hogeveen wrote:
>
> I would just like to add a few comments on Foucault's elusive notion of
> power from my own reading of his works. I liken Foucault notion of power to
> his later concept of truth (as does Thomas Flynn). Both are not
> sytematically defined for us, nor are they concrete terms which are
> universally applicable. Rather, these concepts are specific to the
> situations from which they occur. That is, power in terms of government in
> the late 19th century will differ in its point of application and insertion,
> from that type of power which shapes our percpetions of sexuality. Power,
> according to how I have read Foucault, is contingent upon its occurrence in
> specific locales.
I agree with this absolutely. It seems to me that one of the reasons
why power perpetually reappears in discussions about Foucault is that we
so often miss the point, which, as I see it, is that we should stop
asking for a theory or definition of power and just start describing its
effects. I find it strangely paradoxical that Foucault should have
generated such a huge industry of theorising and so little effort in
applying his methods.
Murray
=================================
Murray K. Simpson,
Department of Social Work,
Frankland Building,
The University of Dundee,
Dundee DD1 4HN,
United Kingdom.
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/SocialWork/mainpage.htm
tel. 01382 344948
fax. 01382 221512
e.mail m.k.simpson@xxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> I would just like to add a few comments on Foucault's elusive notion of
> power from my own reading of his works. I liken Foucault notion of power to
> his later concept of truth (as does Thomas Flynn). Both are not
> sytematically defined for us, nor are they concrete terms which are
> universally applicable. Rather, these concepts are specific to the
> situations from which they occur. That is, power in terms of government in
> the late 19th century will differ in its point of application and insertion,
> from that type of power which shapes our percpetions of sexuality. Power,
> according to how I have read Foucault, is contingent upon its occurrence in
> specific locales.
I agree with this absolutely. It seems to me that one of the reasons
why power perpetually reappears in discussions about Foucault is that we
so often miss the point, which, as I see it, is that we should stop
asking for a theory or definition of power and just start describing its
effects. I find it strangely paradoxical that Foucault should have
generated such a huge industry of theorising and so little effort in
applying his methods.
Murray
=================================
Murray K. Simpson,
Department of Social Work,
Frankland Building,
The University of Dundee,
Dundee DD1 4HN,
United Kingdom.
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/SocialWork/mainpage.htm
tel. 01382 344948
fax. 01382 221512
e.mail m.k.simpson@xxxxxxxxxxxx