I already know why posing the agency question is not stupid. I know (or at
least I made a huge effort to 'know' as best as I'll ever 'know') because I
spent a huge chunk of my PhD studies (yep---Sociology!) finding the
question, finding out why the question is not stupid at all but rather
important, and establishing my own---provisional---little answer to this
question.
What I do not yet know is why posing the agency question could be considered
stupid. When you look at the responses, the ones that agree with 'Arianna'
(the disembodied being) or know her in another context---and are her
friends, I guess---say something along the lines of 'well, Arianna, you're
right. It's stupid, but... blah, blah (providing explanation as to why it
is sometimes necessary)'. The ones that don't agree with 'Arianna' simply
explain why it is not stupid. In any case, it seems to me that no one has
been forthcoming (at least not on Foucault-L) as to WHY posing the agency
question could be considered stupid in the first place.
If someone could make a well-developed argument explaining why it is stupid
to try and ascertain the whereabouts of the agency in Foucault's thoughts,
I'd find that a really interesting read....
Kaori
least I made a huge effort to 'know' as best as I'll ever 'know') because I
spent a huge chunk of my PhD studies (yep---Sociology!) finding the
question, finding out why the question is not stupid at all but rather
important, and establishing my own---provisional---little answer to this
question.
What I do not yet know is why posing the agency question could be considered
stupid. When you look at the responses, the ones that agree with 'Arianna'
(the disembodied being) or know her in another context---and are her
friends, I guess---say something along the lines of 'well, Arianna, you're
right. It's stupid, but... blah, blah (providing explanation as to why it
is sometimes necessary)'. The ones that don't agree with 'Arianna' simply
explain why it is not stupid. In any case, it seems to me that no one has
been forthcoming (at least not on Foucault-L) as to WHY posing the agency
question could be considered stupid in the first place.
If someone could make a well-developed argument explaining why it is stupid
to try and ascertain the whereabouts of the agency in Foucault's thoughts,
I'd find that a really interesting read....
Kaori