Foucault is politically useful as far as resistance goes, or as far as
deconstruction. As for what will be constructed in place of what is torn
down, Foucault ceases to be useful. If one is to apply Foucault, oppressive
knowledge and the power it wields upon the body, if oppressive, should be
resisted. Any alternative knowledge is also problematic -- thus the
difficulty in polticizing Foucault. What I've got to say that I think is
somewhat new is that this may not lead to nihilism, as his critics complain,
because there will always be more order to resist. There will always be
discursive power and normalization. So perhaps it's all in the process, or
the ritual, of deconstructing/resisting.
deconstruction. As for what will be constructed in place of what is torn
down, Foucault ceases to be useful. If one is to apply Foucault, oppressive
knowledge and the power it wields upon the body, if oppressive, should be
resisted. Any alternative knowledge is also problematic -- thus the
difficulty in polticizing Foucault. What I've got to say that I think is
somewhat new is that this may not lead to nihilism, as his critics complain,
because there will always be more order to resist. There will always be
discursive power and normalization. So perhaps it's all in the process, or
the ritual, of deconstructing/resisting.