Doug Henwood wrote:
>
> Murray K. Simpson wrote:
>
> >Thus when he says above 'By what right would _he_ do so?'
> >he is clearly attempting to resist an expectation being placed on
> >himself.
>
> If an intellectual has spent his or her life studying birdsong or mapping
> the migration pattern of salmon, there are no such expectations. But is it
> wrong to expect that a student of the history and mechanics of political
> and cultural power might have some advice to offer people involved in
> practical struggles? I wonder if behind this stance of modesty there isn't
> an arrogant detachment from the mob.
>
> Doug
Well Doug, how nice of you to say so.
I would say a couple of things to this. It seems to me that there is
something between arrogant detachment and telling people what to do. I
think practical assistance (more than just advice) can be given to
people struggling against oppression. This seems to me to be precisely
what Foucault is doing, in Discipline and Punish, for instance, is he
not trying to make the activities of those involved in the penal system
a bit more difficult by under-mining their cosy assumptions and
knowledge? However, it seems to me that at the end of it all, or rather
at the start, the commitment to resistance to oppression is something
which comes before the study of history, politics, philosophy, rather
than after it. I am sure there are people who's interest in Foucault or
social theory has no political commitment. I do not believe I am one,
but then don't we all?
Best wishes
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
>
> Murray K. Simpson wrote:
>
> >Thus when he says above 'By what right would _he_ do so?'
> >he is clearly attempting to resist an expectation being placed on
> >himself.
>
> If an intellectual has spent his or her life studying birdsong or mapping
> the migration pattern of salmon, there are no such expectations. But is it
> wrong to expect that a student of the history and mechanics of political
> and cultural power might have some advice to offer people involved in
> practical struggles? I wonder if behind this stance of modesty there isn't
> an arrogant detachment from the mob.
>
> Doug
Well Doug, how nice of you to say so.
I would say a couple of things to this. It seems to me that there is
something between arrogant detachment and telling people what to do. I
think practical assistance (more than just advice) can be given to
people struggling against oppression. This seems to me to be precisely
what Foucault is doing, in Discipline and Punish, for instance, is he
not trying to make the activities of those involved in the penal system
a bit more difficult by under-mining their cosy assumptions and
knowledge? However, it seems to me that at the end of it all, or rather
at the start, the commitment to resistance to oppression is something
which comes before the study of history, politics, philosophy, rather
than after it. I am sure there are people who's interest in Foucault or
social theory has no political commitment. I do not believe I am one,
but then don't we all?
Best wishes
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