I see it like this:
At the highest level you have the episteme:
"In any given culture and at any given moment, there is only one episteme
that defines the conditions of possibility of all knowledge, whether
expressed in theory or silently invested in a practice" (Foucault, OT. p.
168).
An episteme can be understood as a system of references against which
statements are measured. It allows some statements to be seen as true and
others as false. When people make serious statements as opposed to everyday
utterances they will be measured by against the epistemic formation or
episteme.
Examples: the classical age, modernity
In modernity man becomes subject and object of his own knowledge, the order
of the world is no longer a given. Man is sovereign but also object of his
own knowledge as he seeks to understand himself as well as the other objects
of the world. A being whose finitude allows him to take the place of God.
At the next level you have the discourses: discursive practices
These are the groups of statements mentioned above, 'practices that
systematically form objects of which they speak'. For example 'crime' is an
object of study, it doesn't exist (it's lots of different and diverse form
of behaviour) but it is an object of man's study and it is also formed by
the practise. Thus the theory of criminology becomes a practise, the sayable
becomes the visible and the visible will inform the sayable. The prison's
existence depends on serious statements/discourses and an episteme that
defines the condition of possibility. Insanity and the asylum is another
example, they didn't exist before certain discourses formed them.
So at perhaps the lowest level you have the individual who is object to the
above but also subject. He therefore is able to practise resistance and
freedom. This is what Foucault called the analytic of finitude, man has
become the organiser of his own spectacle. Prison confinement isn't a
product of a natural order it is the product of man. Thought is a perilous
act because man is sovereign.
Hope this helps,
Adam
----- Original Message -----
From: Jesper Grolin <jg.ioa@xxxxxx>
To: <foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 8:10 AM
Subject: Re: Thought
> Nate,
>
> >From where is the quote on your signature taken? Is it from Intellectual
> and Power as well? As for your question, I am curious to see what
> answers will appear in the coming days.
>
> Jesper.
>
> Nathan Goralnik wrote:
> >
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
> >
> > I was pondering the quote on my signature yesterday. As you can see,
> > Foucault says that "thought, at the level of its existence, in its
> > very dawning" "cannot help but liberate and enslave." This is
> > perplexing. I've found that most of Foucault's work has critiqued not
> > thought itself, but rather the practices that it has (often
> > inadvertently) entailed. One conception of a problem can limit the
> > horizon of possible solutions; one conception of an individual or a
> > group can entail certain special treatments of that individual or
> > that group. But all of this seems to critique the practices that stem
> > from thought, rather than thought itself.
> >
> > Clearly, thought is an action, but how can Foucault so easily say, as
> > he does in Intellectuals and Power, that "theory is practice?"
> >
> > ~Nate
> >
> > - --
> >
> > "Thought is no longer theoretical. As soon as it functions it
> > offends or reconciles, attracts or repels, breaks, dissociates,
> > unites, or re-unites; it cannot help but liberate and enslave.
> > Even before prescribing, suggesting a future, saying what must
> > be done, even before exhorting or merely sounding an alarm,
> > thought, at the level of its existence, in its very dawning, is
> > in itself an action--a perilous act."
> > -Michel Foucault
> >
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
> > Version: PGPfreeware 6.5.8 for non-commercial use <http://www.pgp.com>
> >
> > iQA/AwUBOiqurGPiNpsHufNqEQIrCQCgni6PlPj4pglyXUwjSiCQJb16HT0AmgN0
> > GHNbL2ndNYHXZUvX1z5tsvGZ
> > =daT+
> > -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----
At the highest level you have the episteme:
"In any given culture and at any given moment, there is only one episteme
that defines the conditions of possibility of all knowledge, whether
expressed in theory or silently invested in a practice" (Foucault, OT. p.
168).
An episteme can be understood as a system of references against which
statements are measured. It allows some statements to be seen as true and
others as false. When people make serious statements as opposed to everyday
utterances they will be measured by against the epistemic formation or
episteme.
Examples: the classical age, modernity
In modernity man becomes subject and object of his own knowledge, the order
of the world is no longer a given. Man is sovereign but also object of his
own knowledge as he seeks to understand himself as well as the other objects
of the world. A being whose finitude allows him to take the place of God.
At the next level you have the discourses: discursive practices
These are the groups of statements mentioned above, 'practices that
systematically form objects of which they speak'. For example 'crime' is an
object of study, it doesn't exist (it's lots of different and diverse form
of behaviour) but it is an object of man's study and it is also formed by
the practise. Thus the theory of criminology becomes a practise, the sayable
becomes the visible and the visible will inform the sayable. The prison's
existence depends on serious statements/discourses and an episteme that
defines the condition of possibility. Insanity and the asylum is another
example, they didn't exist before certain discourses formed them.
So at perhaps the lowest level you have the individual who is object to the
above but also subject. He therefore is able to practise resistance and
freedom. This is what Foucault called the analytic of finitude, man has
become the organiser of his own spectacle. Prison confinement isn't a
product of a natural order it is the product of man. Thought is a perilous
act because man is sovereign.
Hope this helps,
Adam
----- Original Message -----
From: Jesper Grolin <jg.ioa@xxxxxx>
To: <foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, December 04, 2000 8:10 AM
Subject: Re: Thought
> Nate,
>
> >From where is the quote on your signature taken? Is it from Intellectual
> and Power as well? As for your question, I am curious to see what
> answers will appear in the coming days.
>
> Jesper.
>
> Nathan Goralnik wrote:
> >
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > Hash: SHA1
> >
> > I was pondering the quote on my signature yesterday. As you can see,
> > Foucault says that "thought, at the level of its existence, in its
> > very dawning" "cannot help but liberate and enslave." This is
> > perplexing. I've found that most of Foucault's work has critiqued not
> > thought itself, but rather the practices that it has (often
> > inadvertently) entailed. One conception of a problem can limit the
> > horizon of possible solutions; one conception of an individual or a
> > group can entail certain special treatments of that individual or
> > that group. But all of this seems to critique the practices that stem
> > from thought, rather than thought itself.
> >
> > Clearly, thought is an action, but how can Foucault so easily say, as
> > he does in Intellectuals and Power, that "theory is practice?"
> >
> > ~Nate
> >
> > - --
> >
> > "Thought is no longer theoretical. As soon as it functions it
> > offends or reconciles, attracts or repels, breaks, dissociates,
> > unites, or re-unites; it cannot help but liberate and enslave.
> > Even before prescribing, suggesting a future, saying what must
> > be done, even before exhorting or merely sounding an alarm,
> > thought, at the level of its existence, in its very dawning, is
> > in itself an action--a perilous act."
> > -Michel Foucault
> >
> > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
> > Version: PGPfreeware 6.5.8 for non-commercial use <http://www.pgp.com>
> >
> > iQA/AwUBOiqurGPiNpsHufNqEQIrCQCgni6PlPj4pglyXUwjSiCQJb16HT0AmgN0
> > GHNbL2ndNYHXZUvX1z5tsvGZ
> > =daT+
> > -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----