MichiganStateUniversity, Philosophy Department, Dr. Christian Lotz

Phil 421: Foucault, Spring 2006, Questions 2

Please pay attention while you are reading the next set of texts to the following ideas and questions:

HISTORY

Althusser:

  1. Why do Marxists analyse ideologies?
  2. What is the relation between state apparatuses and ideologies?
  3. What does Althusser mean by his claim that ideologies don’t have a history?
  4. Explain the two thesis about ideologies (109-115)
  5. Especially explain Althusser’s claim that ideologies are “inserted” into practices
  6. Why do ideologies transform individuals into subjects?

Nietzsche, Freud, Marx (Foucault 2, 269-278)

  1. Why did interpretation become an infinite task?
  2. How is the incompleteness of interpretation visible in Nietzsche, according to Foucault?
  3. What is so important about Nietzsche’s, Marx’s, and Freud’s conception of the sign?
  4. How are these conceptions related to Saussure’s theory?

Nietzsche, Genealogy, History (Foucault 2, 369-391)

  1. What is the main thesis of this essay?
  2. Why is Foucault’s insight into the nature of the concept of “origin” important for his conception of history?
  3. How would you describe Foucault’s notion of history?
  4. How is the concept of history connected to his concept of rationality?

Archaeology of Knowledge (1-31)

  1. What does Foucault say about “unities?” and why does the problem of tradition break down?
  2. Why do discontinuities become important?
  3. How do Marx and Nietzsche fit into the picture (13)?
  4. How does Foucault destroy the unities of the book/oeuvre?
  5. How does Foucault integrate Saussure’s theory? (27)

SUBJECT

Archaeology of Knowledge (50-55)

  1. Explain how Foucault transforms the idea of the subject into a linguistic category (who, sites, position)

What is an Author (Foucault 2, 205-223)

  1. Why does the author play a “classificatory function?” (210)
  2. Explain all aspects of the “author function” (there are 4-5 aspects, 211-217)
  3. What does Foucault mean by “transdiscursive?”

The Masked Philosopher (Foucault 1, 321-329)

  1. How does Foucault conceive the “intellectual”
  2. How does he conceive the activity of the philosopher?
  3. What is the task of philosophy, according to Foucault?

POWER

Truth and Power (Foucault 3, 111-134)

  1. Summarize Foucault’s view of Marxism
  2. How does Foucault conceive practices (p.114)?
  3. How does his concept echoe Althusser’s concept?
  4. How do the Left and the Right approach the problem of power? (117)
  5. What does Foucault say about the subject on p.118?
  6. Why does Foucault have problems with the notions of ideology and repression (119)?
  7. What is the new form of power that appears within the 18th century?
  8. What is an intellectual, according to F.?
  9. Explain Foucault’s notion of truth (131)

Governmentality (Foucault 3, 201-223)

  1. Explain Foucault’s concept of governing and explain how it departs from what we usually mean by this term within political contexts
  2. Focus on p. 219-222 and on 205-212

Interview (Foucault 3, 239-298)

  1. Just read the interview; it gives you a nice overview of the French intellectual scene

Power and Strategies (copy)

  1. Why does Foucault reject the reduction of power to Law?
  2. Explain Foucault’s concept of power (142 is important!!!)

The Eye of Power (copy)

  1. This essay is a perfect introduction to “Discipline and Punish.” Read it carefully!!
  2. How is Althusser’s concept of ideology visible in Foucault’s concept of space?
  3. Explain the main aspects of Foucault’s new concept of power (machinery, discipline, labour, gaze, panopticism)