I think the question of who actually owns the text's meanings, writer or reader, is one that Foucault himself helped pose ie the death of the author. But this goes far further back in time to those who made orthodox readings of texts and those others who made unorthodox or heretical readings, say to the early Christian Church or even farther back to the Socratic dialogues.
I agree that simple questions help clarify understanding and response,
all best wishes,
Paul Murphy
> from: Phil Ryan <pryan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> date: Fri, 09 Aug 2002 15:59:48
> to: foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> subject: Re: John P's questions
>
> John:
>
> You are making an interesting contribution to this list by posing apparently
> simple questions that
> help get people focussed on "Foucault 101" again. So thanks for that.
>
> By way of a quick answer to:
>
> > Did Foucault think others were capable of using his methods?
>
> A) On the one hand
> Foucault stated "I write for users, not for readers" (D E II, 524), and liked
> to refer to his work
> as a "tool-box" (Ibid, 523), and to himself as a "seller of tools, a maker of
> recipes [recettes]"
> (720).
>
> B) On the other hand
> He once offered the interesting comment that he would like his books to burn
> themselves like
> fireworks after having been read (Ibid., 725). I think he was pointing to the
> nervousness that I
> imagine any influential author feels at how their work will be used by others.
> [I have a couple of
> nice quotes from Weber lamenting how his "Protestant Ethic" was pressed into
> service against
> materialism; and we all know of Marx's "I am not a Marxist" statement.]
>
>
> But what about:
>
> > Do you believe others are capable of it?
>
> Depends what you mean. There are many times I am working on something, and a
> particular
> insight or point of view on the topic comes that I don't think I would have
> had without having
> read Foucault. That, for me, is "using" Foucault, though perhaps you mean
> something different.
>
> Phil
>
>
I agree that simple questions help clarify understanding and response,
all best wishes,
Paul Murphy
> from: Phil Ryan <pryan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> date: Fri, 09 Aug 2002 15:59:48
> to: foucault@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> subject: Re: John P's questions
>
> John:
>
> You are making an interesting contribution to this list by posing apparently
> simple questions that
> help get people focussed on "Foucault 101" again. So thanks for that.
>
> By way of a quick answer to:
>
> > Did Foucault think others were capable of using his methods?
>
> A) On the one hand
> Foucault stated "I write for users, not for readers" (D E II, 524), and liked
> to refer to his work
> as a "tool-box" (Ibid, 523), and to himself as a "seller of tools, a maker of
> recipes [recettes]"
> (720).
>
> B) On the other hand
> He once offered the interesting comment that he would like his books to burn
> themselves like
> fireworks after having been read (Ibid., 725). I think he was pointing to the
> nervousness that I
> imagine any influential author feels at how their work will be used by others.
> [I have a couple of
> nice quotes from Weber lamenting how his "Protestant Ethic" was pressed into
> service against
> materialism; and we all know of Marx's "I am not a Marxist" statement.]
>
>
> But what about:
>
> > Do you believe others are capable of it?
>
> Depends what you mean. There are many times I am working on something, and a
> particular
> insight or point of view on the topic comes that I don't think I would have
> had without having
> read Foucault. That, for me, is "using" Foucault, though perhaps you mean
> something different.
>
> Phil
>
>