Dear Charles,
I too recall this being spoken of --perhaps in more than one place. I think
the idea is 1) that various forms of domination are plural and cannot be
subsumed under a single master concept (as in most versions of Marxist
thought, for instance), and 2) that because of this fact, different
struggles need to be autonomous (they should not be brought under some
vanguard leadership which would strategically sacrifice some strugglers'
immediate goals in the name an some long-term strategy).
One secondary source which lays this argument out very well is Paul Bove's
essay "Intellectuals at War," in SubStance 9(4), 1983, pp. 36-55.
It is interesting that --despite their well-known differences-- this is an
issue on which Foucault and Noam Chomsky very much converge. Again and
again Chomsky responds to people who ask "what can we do?" by saying
something to the effect of: "it doesn't matter, just pick some local
struggle --something close to yourself which matters a lot to you-- and work
on that. Most of us can never reach the Kissengers of the world, but with
every small struggle we improve our situation and educate and organize
ourselves better... it's gotta come from below like that."
-Nate
On 3/31/06, Charles Villet <unkl_spin@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Hi all
>
> A couple of years ago I came across the concept of local protest in a
> secondary source on Foucault that I can't recall right now. I have heard
> other people use this concept with regards to Foucault. I haven't come
> across specifically this concept in a primary text of Foucault yet. Does
> anyone know of a mention or discussion by Foucault of this concept (in so
> many words) in one of his own texts?
>
> Regards
>
> Charles Villet
>
> ------------------------------
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> _______________________________________________
> Foucault-L mailing list
>
>
--
Nathaniel Roberts
PhD Candidate
Department of Anthropology
Columbia University
I too recall this being spoken of --perhaps in more than one place. I think
the idea is 1) that various forms of domination are plural and cannot be
subsumed under a single master concept (as in most versions of Marxist
thought, for instance), and 2) that because of this fact, different
struggles need to be autonomous (they should not be brought under some
vanguard leadership which would strategically sacrifice some strugglers'
immediate goals in the name an some long-term strategy).
One secondary source which lays this argument out very well is Paul Bove's
essay "Intellectuals at War," in SubStance 9(4), 1983, pp. 36-55.
It is interesting that --despite their well-known differences-- this is an
issue on which Foucault and Noam Chomsky very much converge. Again and
again Chomsky responds to people who ask "what can we do?" by saying
something to the effect of: "it doesn't matter, just pick some local
struggle --something close to yourself which matters a lot to you-- and work
on that. Most of us can never reach the Kissengers of the world, but with
every small struggle we improve our situation and educate and organize
ourselves better... it's gotta come from below like that."
-Nate
On 3/31/06, Charles Villet <unkl_spin@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Hi all
>
> A couple of years ago I came across the concept of local protest in a
> secondary source on Foucault that I can't recall right now. I have heard
> other people use this concept with regards to Foucault. I haven't come
> across specifically this concept in a primary text of Foucault yet. Does
> anyone know of a mention or discussion by Foucault of this concept (in so
> many words) in one of his own texts?
>
> Regards
>
> Charles Villet
>
> ------------------------------
> *Yahoo! Photos*<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mail/uk/taglines/default/photos/*http://uk.photos.yahoo.com/>–
> NEW, now offering a quality print service<http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mail/uk/taglines/default/photos/*http://uk.photos.yahoo.com/>from just 8p a photo.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Foucault-L mailing list
>
>
--
Nathaniel Roberts
PhD Candidate
Department of Anthropology
Columbia University