Dear all,
I would like to thank you for responding to my question.
The quote I was searching for was indeed the one from the the lecture "About the Beginning of the Hermeneutics of the Self" (many thanks to Teemu and Jeremy W. Crampton for finding this form me).
The full quote reads:
'most historians prefer a history of social processes [where society plays the role of the subject] and most philosophers prefer a subject without history' (this version is from "The Politics of Truth" where the editors have combined the lecture fom Dartmouth Colledge with the Howison Lecures at Berkely - hence the addition in paretheses).
What I think foucault is refering to here is Marxist history - 'economic and social context:' 'social history' - and existential-phenomenology - 'a general theory of the human being:' 'philosophical anthropology' (cf. "Essentail Works, Vol. 1: 200).
Which is to say, precisely those two philosophical systems that informed Part I and Part II of Foucault's very first publication: "Maladie mental et personnalité" - at later, radically revised, version of which has been translated as "Mental Illness and Psychology."
Regards,
Kevin.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: vagabond@xxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 08:18:28 +1030
> To: foucault-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Foucault-L] philosophy and history
>
> Kevin,
>
> "a subject without history" would seem to be the opposite of how you
> remembered it, i.e., "history without a subject" (e.g., Althusser).
> The quote would seem to be a comment on the difference between the
> Annales school's approach (which was presumably predominant at that
> time in France) and the predominant philosophical approach, which
> assumes a transcendental subject of knowledge, centre of actions, etc
> etc. Presumably the comment was prefatory to an attempt on
> Foucault's part to give a properly historical account of the
> "subject" and its effects. Anyway if anyone wants to comment further
> on this passage maybe they can clarify things.
>
> DM
>
> On 04/03/2008, at 7:18 AM, Teemu K wrote:
>
>>
>> Hi
>>
>> In "About the Beginning of the Hermeneutics of the Self", at page 202,
>> there's a passage that might be the one.
>>
>> "...most historians prefer a history of social processes, and most
>> philosophers prefer a subject without history" (Political Theory,
>> Volume 21,
>> Issue 2, 1993)
>>
>> best regards,
>> Teemu
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Mar 1, 2008 at 4:18 PM, Kevin Turner
>> <kevin.turner@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks for these suggestions, but I'm almost sure that it comes
>>> from one
>>> of the texts in the three volume Essential Works: I can almost
>>> picture it on
>>> the page.
>>> However, like I said, I have been unable tolocate it.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Kevin.
>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: mail.to.si@xxxxxxxxx
>>>> Sent: Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:26:00 -0800
>>>> To: foucault-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>> Subject: Re: [Foucault-L] philosophy and history
>>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I think I read this line in an interview (given the title "The
>>> Impossible
>>>> Prison" in English trans.). I am not positive, though.
>>>>
>>>> Good luck.
>>>>
>>>> Si
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 2:00 PM, John J Crandall <jjcranda@xxxxxxx>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Check the archaeology of knowledge. That tends to discuss
>>>>> methodology
>>>>> and
>>>>> wants/needs/desires of social scientists. Also check power/
>>>>> knowledge.
>>>>>
>>>>> Perhaps someone knows more specifically than I.
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: foucault-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>> [mailto:foucault-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Kevin Turner
>>>>> Sent: Friday, February 29, 2008 4:29 PM
>>>>> To: Mailing-list
>>>>> Subject: [Foucault-L] philosophy and history
>>>>>
>>>>> Firstly, I'd like to say thanks for clarifying my previous
>>>>> question on
>>>>> Remarks on Marx.
>>>>>
>>>>> Secondly, can anyone point me to the text in which Foucault says
>>>>> something
>>>>> like
>>>>> "philosophers want a subject without a history and historians
>>>>> want a
>>>>> history
>>>>> without a subject"
>>>>> I know I have read this somewhere, but am damned if I can find the
>>>>> article
>>>>> or interview in which it appears.
>>>>>
>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>> Kevin.
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Foucault-L mailing list
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Foucault-L mailing list
>>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Foucault-L mailing list
>>>
>>> ____________________________________________________________
>>> FREE 3D EARTH SCREENSAVER - Watch the Earth right on your desktop!
>>> Check it out at http://www.inbox.com/earth
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Foucault-L mailing list
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Foucault-L mailing list
>
> _______________________________________________
> Foucault-L mailing list
____________________________________________________________
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I would like to thank you for responding to my question.
The quote I was searching for was indeed the one from the the lecture "About the Beginning of the Hermeneutics of the Self" (many thanks to Teemu and Jeremy W. Crampton for finding this form me).
The full quote reads:
'most historians prefer a history of social processes [where society plays the role of the subject] and most philosophers prefer a subject without history' (this version is from "The Politics of Truth" where the editors have combined the lecture fom Dartmouth Colledge with the Howison Lecures at Berkely - hence the addition in paretheses).
What I think foucault is refering to here is Marxist history - 'economic and social context:' 'social history' - and existential-phenomenology - 'a general theory of the human being:' 'philosophical anthropology' (cf. "Essentail Works, Vol. 1: 200).
Which is to say, precisely those two philosophical systems that informed Part I and Part II of Foucault's very first publication: "Maladie mental et personnalité" - at later, radically revised, version of which has been translated as "Mental Illness and Psychology."
Regards,
Kevin.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: vagabond@xxxxxxxxx
> Sent: Tue, 4 Mar 2008 08:18:28 +1030
> To: foucault-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [Foucault-L] philosophy and history
>
> Kevin,
>
> "a subject without history" would seem to be the opposite of how you
> remembered it, i.e., "history without a subject" (e.g., Althusser).
> The quote would seem to be a comment on the difference between the
> Annales school's approach (which was presumably predominant at that
> time in France) and the predominant philosophical approach, which
> assumes a transcendental subject of knowledge, centre of actions, etc
> etc. Presumably the comment was prefatory to an attempt on
> Foucault's part to give a properly historical account of the
> "subject" and its effects. Anyway if anyone wants to comment further
> on this passage maybe they can clarify things.
>
> DM
>
> On 04/03/2008, at 7:18 AM, Teemu K wrote:
>
>>
>> Hi
>>
>> In "About the Beginning of the Hermeneutics of the Self", at page 202,
>> there's a passage that might be the one.
>>
>> "...most historians prefer a history of social processes, and most
>> philosophers prefer a subject without history" (Political Theory,
>> Volume 21,
>> Issue 2, 1993)
>>
>> best regards,
>> Teemu
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Mar 1, 2008 at 4:18 PM, Kevin Turner
>> <kevin.turner@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>
>>> Thanks for these suggestions, but I'm almost sure that it comes
>>> from one
>>> of the texts in the three volume Essential Works: I can almost
>>> picture it on
>>> the page.
>>> However, like I said, I have been unable tolocate it.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Kevin.
>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: mail.to.si@xxxxxxxxx
>>>> Sent: Fri, 29 Feb 2008 17:26:00 -0800
>>>> To: foucault-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>> Subject: Re: [Foucault-L] philosophy and history
>>>>
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> I think I read this line in an interview (given the title "The
>>> Impossible
>>>> Prison" in English trans.). I am not positive, though.
>>>>
>>>> Good luck.
>>>>
>>>> Si
>>>>
>>>> On Fri, Feb 29, 2008 at 2:00 PM, John J Crandall <jjcranda@xxxxxxx>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Check the archaeology of knowledge. That tends to discuss
>>>>> methodology
>>>>> and
>>>>> wants/needs/desires of social scientists. Also check power/
>>>>> knowledge.
>>>>>
>>>>> Perhaps someone knows more specifically than I.
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: foucault-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>> [mailto:foucault-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Kevin Turner
>>>>> Sent: Friday, February 29, 2008 4:29 PM
>>>>> To: Mailing-list
>>>>> Subject: [Foucault-L] philosophy and history
>>>>>
>>>>> Firstly, I'd like to say thanks for clarifying my previous
>>>>> question on
>>>>> Remarks on Marx.
>>>>>
>>>>> Secondly, can anyone point me to the text in which Foucault says
>>>>> something
>>>>> like
>>>>> "philosophers want a subject without a history and historians
>>>>> want a
>>>>> history
>>>>> without a subject"
>>>>> I know I have read this somewhere, but am damned if I can find the
>>>>> article
>>>>> or interview in which it appears.
>>>>>
>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>> Kevin.
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Foucault-L mailing list
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Foucault-L mailing list
>>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Foucault-L mailing list
>>>
>>> ____________________________________________________________
>>> FREE 3D EARTH SCREENSAVER - Watch the Earth right on your desktop!
>>> Check it out at http://www.inbox.com/earth
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Foucault-L mailing list
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Foucault-L mailing list
>
> _______________________________________________
> Foucault-L mailing list
____________________________________________________________
FREE ONLINE PHOTOSHARING - Share your photos online with your friends and family!
Visit http://www.inbox.com/photosharing to find out more!