RE: power/knowledge

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Also in the 1988 Kritzman collection ("Politics, Philosophy, Culture:
Interviews and Other Writings 1977-1984").

"as far as the general public is concerned, I am the guy who said that
knowledge merged with power ... If I had said, or meant, that knowledge was
power I would have said so, and having said so, I would have nothing more to
say, since, having made them identical, I don't see why I would have taken
the trouble to show the different relations between them" (Foucault, 1988:
264).

Damian

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Dr Damian E. Hodgson
Manchester School of Management
UMIST
PO Box 88
MANCHESTER
M60 1QD

Tel. +44 (0)161 200 8791
E-mail: Damian.Hodgson@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:Damian.Hodgson@xxxxxxxxxxx>

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:owner-foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Nathaniel
Roberts
Sent: 02 August 2002 00:43
To: foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: power/knowledge

In an interview in one on the three Rabinow edited volumes (sorry, I don't
have the reference available at the moment) Foucault addresses the charge
that he equates knowledge and power. He says he laughs whenever he hears
that someone has attributed this thought to him; his purpose, he explains,
is to investigate the *relationship* between knowledge and power. There
could not be a relationship *between* them, he points out, if they were not
*different* from each other. [This is probably the same article refered to
in a previous posting by Clare O'Farrell, "Panopticon"]

-Nate

At 10:37 AM 7/28/2002 -0400, you wrote:
>Thanks. That makes sense. I tried reversing the expression to read "power
>is knowledge," and it did strike me as odd. In some cases they do seem to
>be the same, while in others, not. For example, if you describe his work
>as an "archaelogy of power" (rather than "knowledge), it does seem to be
>an accurate description of what he did.
>
>Does anyone "know" what the words for "power" and "knowledge" are in
French?
>
>
>>From: Phil Ryan <philip_ryan@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>>Reply-To: foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>To: foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>Subject: Re: power/knowledge
>>Date: Sat, 27 Jul 2002 09:34:48 -0400
>>
>>
>>
>>John Patrick wrote:
>>
>> > his basic
>> > premise seems quite basic to me. The common expression "knowledge is
>> power"
>> > seems to summarize his position.There doesn't seem to be anything
>> > revolutionary about that.
>>
>>As that great American philosopher, W.J. Clinton, once put it, it depends
on
>>"what the meaning of 'is' is"
>>
>>We regularly use the verb in English, without having to think about what
>>heavy
>>duty it does, how many shades of meaning it holds.
>>
>>For ex, we say that "2+2 is 4" and, conversely, "4 is 2+2"
>>
>>But "is" does not always entail this reversibility
>>
>>For example: Those who make the statement
>>
>>"Knowledge is power"
>>
>>are rarely willing to turn it around to say
>>
>>"Power is knowledge"
>>
>>One of the things that makes Foucault interesting for many of us is that
>>he was
>>willing to turn the phrase around. Foucault emphatically rejected the
claim
>>that he had simply identified knowledge with power, so it's better to
>>read his
>>claims as something like:
>>
>>knowledge <generates> power [ho-hum]
>>
>>power generates knowledge [more interesting, I think]
>>
>>One of the themes running through Discipline and Punish, to take one work,
is
>>how the prison and analogous institutions served to generate knowledge
about
>>human beings. Foucault would often suggest that the whole "human
>>sciences" were
>>informed by the knowledge flowing from such relations of power.
>>
>>It's a striking thesis, for me at least, and is worth playing with, and
>>applying
>>to different contexts to see how fruitful it is.
>>
>>
>>Hope that that "is" helpful.
>>
>>Phil Ryan
>
>
>
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com

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Also in the 1988 Kritzman collection ("Politics, =
Philosophy,=20
Culture: Interviews and Other Writings 1977-1984"). "as far as =
the=20
general public is concerned, I am the guy who said that knowledge merged =
with=20
power ... If I had said, or meant, that knowledge was power I would have =
said=20
so, and having said so, I would have nothing more to say, since, having =
made=20
them identical, I don't see why I would have taken the trouble to show =
the=20
different relations between them" (Foucault, 1988: =
264). Damian 
<HR>
Dr Damian E. Hodgson Manchester School of Management UMIST PO =
Box=20
88 MANCHESTER M60 1QD Tel. +44 (0)161 200 8791 E-mail:=20
Damian.Hodgson@xxxxxxxxxxx <<A=20
href=3D"mailto:Damian.Hodgson@xxxxxxxxxxx";>mailto:Damian.Hodgson@xxxxxxxx=
.uk</A>> -----Original=20
Message----- From: owner-foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [<A=20
href=3D"mailto:owner-foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx";>mailto:owner-fo=
ucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx</A>]On=20
Behalf Of Nathaniel Roberts Sent: 02 August 2002 00:43 To:=20
foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re:=20
power/knowledge In an interview in one on the three Rabinow =
edited=20
volumes (sorry, I don't have the reference available at the moment) =
Foucault=20
addresses the charge that he equates knowledge and power.  He =
says he=20
laughs whenever he hears that someone has attributed this thought to =
him; his=20
purpose, he explains, is to investigate the *relationship* between =
knowledge=20
and power.  There could not be a relationship *between* them, he =
points=20
out, if they were not *different* from each other.  [This is =
probably=20
the same article refered to in a previous posting by Clare O'Farrell, =

"Panopticon"] -Nate At 10:37 AM 7/28/2002 =
-0400, you=20
wrote: >Thanks. That makes sense. I tried reversing the expression =
to read=20
"power >is knowledge," and it did strike me as odd. In some cases =
they do=20
seem to >be the same, while in others, not. For example, if you =
describe=20
his work >as an "archaelogy of power" (rather than "knowledge), it =
does=20
seem to be >an accurate description of what he =
did. > >Does=20
anyone "know" what the words for "power" and "knowledge" are in=20
French? > > >>From: Phil Ryan=20
<philip_ryan@xxxxxxxxxxx> >>Reply-To:=20
foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >>To:=20
foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx >>Subject: Re:=20
power/knowledge >>Date: Sat, 27 Jul 2002 09:34:48=20
-0400 >> >> >> >>John Patrick=20
wrote: >> >> > his basic >> > premise =
seems=20
quite basic to me. The common expression "knowledge is >>=20
power" >> > seems to summarize his position.There doesn't =
seem to be=20
anything >> > revolutionary about =
that. >> >>As=20
that great American philosopher, W.J. Clinton, once put it, it depends=20
on >>"what the meaning of 'is' is" >> >>We =
regularly=20
use the verb in English, without having to think about=20
what >>heavy >>duty it does, how many shades of =
meaning it=20
holds. >> >>For ex, we say that "2+2 is 4" and, =
conversely, "4=20
is 2+2" >> >>But "is" does not always entail this=20
reversibility >> >>For example: Those who make the=20
statement >> >>"Knowledge is =
power" >> >>are=20
rarely willing to turn it around to say >> >>"Power is =

knowledge" >> >>One of the things that makes Foucault=20
interesting for many of us is that >>he was >>willing =
to turn=20
the phrase around.  Foucault emphatically rejected the=20
claim >>that he had simply identified knowledge with power, so =
it's=20
better to >>read his >>claims as something=20
like: >> >>knowledge <generates> power=20
[ho-hum] >> >>power generates knowledge [more =
interesting, I=20
think] >> >>One of the themes running through =
Discipline and=20
Punish, to take one work, is >>how the prison and analogous=20
institutions served to generate knowledge about >>human =
beings. =20
Foucault would often suggest that the whole "human >>sciences"=20
were >>informed by the knowledge flowing from such relations of =

power. >> >>It's a striking thesis, for me at least, =
and is=20
worth playing with, and >>applying >>to different =
contexts to=20
see how fruitful it is. >> >> >>Hope that =
that "is"=20
helpful. >> >>Phil=20
Ryan > > > > >_____________________________=
____________________________________ >Chat=20
with friends online, try MSN Messenger: <A =
href=3D"http://messenger.msn.com"=20
target=3D_blank>http://messenger.msn.com</A> </BODY></HTML>=

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