Michel Foucault facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michel Foucault
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Foucault in 1974
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Paul-Michel Foucault
15 October 1926 Poitiers, France
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| Died | 25 June 1984 (aged 57) Paris, France
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Notable work
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| Partner(s) | Daniel Defert |
| Region | Western philosophy |
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| Doctoral advisor | Georges Canguilhem |
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Main interests
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Ethics, historical epistemology, history of ideas, philosophy of literature, philosophy of technology, political philosophy |
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Notable ideas
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Biopower (biopolitics), disciplinary institution, discourse analysis, discursive formation, dispositif, épistémè, "archaeology", "Carceral archipelago", "genealogy", governmentality, heterotopia, gaze, limit-experience, power-knowledge, panopticism, subjectivation (assujettissement), parrhesia, epimeleia heautou, visibilités, Regimes of truth |
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Influenced
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Paul-Michel Foucault (born October 15, 1926 – died June 25, 1984) was a famous French thinker. He was a philosopher, historian of ideas, writer, and political activist. Foucault's main ideas looked at how power and knowledge are connected. He explored how these two things are used to control people in society.
Foucault is often called a structuralist or postmodernist, but he did not like these labels for himself. His ideas have had a big impact on many subjects. These include communication studies, anthropology, psychology, sociology, criminology, and feminism.
Contents
Michel Foucault's Early Life
Growing Up in Poitiers: 1926–1938
Paul-Michel Foucault was born in Poitiers, France, on October 15, 1926. He was the second of three children in a well-off family. His father, Paul Foucault, was a successful surgeon. His mother, Anne Malapert, came from a family of doctors too.
Michel was called Paul at school, but he preferred "Michel" his whole life. His father was strict with him. Michel later described himself as a "difficult" child.
He started school early at Lycée Henry-IV. He was very good at French, Greek, Latin, and history. However, he struggled with math.
Teen Years and War: 1939–1945
In 1939, World War II began. Nazi Germany occupied France in 1940. Foucault's parents did not support the occupation.
In 1940, Foucault's mother sent him to Collège Saint-Stanislas. This was a strict Catholic school. Foucault found it tough but did very well in his studies. He especially liked philosophy, history, and literature. He finished high school in 1943.
After that, he studied history and philosophy for a year. In 1945, Foucault moved to Paris. He went to Lycée Henri-IV, a top school. There, he studied with philosopher Jean Hyppolite. Hyppolite taught him that philosophy should be studied through history. This idea greatly influenced Foucault.
University Studies: 1946–1951
In 1946, Foucault got into the École Normale Supérieure (ENS). This was a very difficult school to enter. He was one of the top students. He lived in the school dorms in Paris.
Foucault spent a lot of time alone, reading many books. He studied philosophy, reading thinkers like Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Karl Marx, and Martin Heidegger. He also became interested in the history of science.
He earned his B.A. in Philosophy in 1948 and his M.A. in 1949. In 1948, Louis Althusser, a Marxist philosopher, became a tutor at ENS. Foucault joined the French Communist Party in 1950. However, he was not very active and left the party in 1953. He did not agree with some of their views.
Foucault also studied psychology. He earned a B.A. in psychology in 1949. In 1952, he received a diploma in Psychopathology.
Michel Foucault's Career
After university, Foucault worked in teaching and research. From 1951 to 1955, he taught psychology at ENS. He also taught at the Université de Lille. He spent time at the Sainte-Anne Hospital, studying how doctors and patients interact.
Foucault published his first major book, The History of Madness, in 1961. He then worked at the University of Clermont-Ferrand. There, he wrote The Birth of the Clinic (1963) and The Order of Things (1966). These books showed his new way of studying history, which he called "archaeology."
From 1966 to 1968, Foucault taught at the University of Tunis. He then returned to France. He became the head of the philosophy department at the new Paris VIII university. In 1969, he published The Archaeology of Knowledge.
In 1970, Foucault joined the Collège de France, a very respected institution. He stayed there until his death. He also became involved in political groups. These groups worked against racism and for prison reform. In 1975, Foucault published Discipline and Punish. In this book, he explored how power works in society.
Michel Foucault's Death
Foucault passed away in Paris on June 26, 1984. He died from health problems related to HIV/AIDS. He was the first well-known person in France to die from this illness. His partner, Daniel Defert, later started a charity called AIDES in his memory.
Foucault was buried in Vendeuvre-du-Poitou in a small ceremony.
Michel Foucault's Personal Life
Foucault was an atheist, meaning he did not believe in God. He loved classical music, especially by Johann Sebastian Bach and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was known for wearing turtleneck sweaters.
After he died, his friend Georges Dumézil said Foucault was very kind and good. He also said Foucault had amazing intelligence. His life partner, Daniel Defert, inherited his writings and papers. These were later sold to the National Library of France.
Michel Foucault's Ideas
Foucault's work often explored serious and challenging topics. He aimed to show how philosophy can help us understand how power affects us.
He explained that his work was not just about "power." It was about how society uses power to shape people into "subjects."
Foucault's Ideas on Power
Foucault looked at power in two ways: by studying history and by thinking about how it works. He described three types of power: sovereign power, disciplinary power, and biopower.
Foucault believed that most people misunderstand power. He said power is not just something a government or group "holds." Instead, power is a complex set of forces that comes from "everywhere." It exists in all our relationships and interactions.
He thought power always has a goal. It comes in two forms:
- Tactics: Small-scale ways power is used, like how someone chooses their clothes.
- Strategies: Large-scale power, like the general fashion trends at a certain time. Strategies are made up of many tactics.
Foucault also said that power is not about one person or group controlling others. Even if people try to influence things, their actions can have unexpected results. People have choices, but their choices are also shaped by their situation.
Foucault believed that power relations are always changing. There is always a chance for things to change. He said that power always includes resistance. This means people can always push back against power. Foucault wanted people to understand how power shapes their lives. By understanding this, people can choose to act and think differently.
Understanding Subjectivity
Foucault's main goal was to study how people throughout history have become "subjects." For Foucault, being a subject is not just a natural state. It is an active process. He believed that what we think of as our "self" is built by power.
He used the term "assujettissement." This means a process where power creates subjects. It also controls them using social rules. These "social norms" are standards that people are encouraged to follow. They are used to compare and define people.
Foucault thought that scientific ideas have played a big role in shaping people. Sciences like psychiatry and psychology classify people. They observe behavior and "treat" people if their behavior is seen as "abnormal." By doing this, they create different types of "subjects" and norms. People then start to believe these norms are "truths." They change their behavior to fit what science calls "normal."
For example, Foucault said that psychology has created a "psychology-centered" way of being. This makes people think unhappiness is a personal fault, not a problem with society. He argued this also helps society avoid criticism.
How We Shape Ourselves
Foucault also believed that we shape our own "subjectivity." This happens when we try to "find ourselves" or "be ourselves." This search for a "true self" is a common modern activity.
Foucault argued that there is no single "true self" to find. Instead, the "self" is created through these activities. For example, facing challenges does not "reveal" your true self. It creates a certain kind of self.
However, Foucault also said that the "form" for our self is largely set by power. Schools, workplaces, and media all help shape us. They use disciplinary power to make us into certain types of subjects.
Freedom and Critique
Foucault's idea of freedom means what we can do for ourselves within our specific historical time. To be free, we must know how power has shaped our situation.
Foucault believed that the forces that affect people can be changed. People always have the ability to change what limits their freedom. Freedom is not a fixed state. It is a practice. It is how we act towards ourselves, others, and the world. Freedom, for Foucault, is like "experimenting" with different ways of changing things.
The Practice of Questioning
Foucault suggested "critique" as a way to understand modern subjectivity. He said there are no "good" or "bad" forms of subjectivity. They all come from power relations. All rules and institutions can both help and control us.
So, Foucault said it is always important to keep questioning things. "Critique" means looking for the processes that made us who we are. It asks: Who are we, and how did we become this way? This questioning shows that our current way of being is not fixed. It can be changed.
Foucault stressed that we can always change our current situation. Critique also means looking at when norms help us and when they limit us. It helps us find ways to be more free. Foucault believed we cannot escape power relations. But we can always deal with them in new ways.
Foucault's Ideas on Knowledge
Foucault had a different view of "modern" knowledge. He used two French words for knowledge: "savoir" and "connaissance."
- Savoir: This refers to the process where subjects are created. At the same time, these subjects become objects of knowledge. For example, in criminology, criminals become subjects. Knowledge is then created about them.
- Connaissance: This is the actual knowledge about these subjects.
Foucault also used the term "pouvoir/savoir" (power/knowledge). This means a type of knowledge that seems like "common sense." But it is kept as "common sense" by power.
See also
In Spanish: Michel Foucault para niños
