CONCEPT LIST-Foucault: WTF? An Introduction to Foucault, Power and Knowledge
Sally Farhat
Nicholas, T. (Director). (2019, June 13). Foucault: WTF? An Introduction to Foucault, Power and Knowledge [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9045I_p45XU&app=desktop
Foucault was particularly concerned about the changing episteme and the way knowledge get created over time. His original thoughts largely relate to Nietzsche’s earlier questioning of the power relations and systems of oppression during Europe’s period of enlightenment. This period has been largely described as the period of reason, science, and humanity. It was during the Enlightenment that god, morality and superstition in general no longer controlled the people and their institutions. Nonetheless, according to Nietzsche, while religion was no longer the source of control at the time, the power relations between the upper and lower class remained untouched, meaning the same rules that governed these relationships during medieval ages were adopting during enlightenment.
So, Foucault examined this idea in particular through analyzing the evolution of power relation and knowledge creation at different periods of time. One of his works revolved around the change in discipline and punishment over time. He examined the development of institutions in modern times, while taking into account the prison and justice systems. For Foucault, although the punishment system has evolved over time from festivities and public killing to courts and silent deaths, the discourse that governs punishment remained untouched. Foucault argues that the system of punishment and prison, if anything, has become more inhumane through forcing people to continuously feel that they need to discipline themselves, which on the long run, limits their ability to discover who they truly are.
Additionally, Foucault argues that hegemony in today’s world is systemized, meaning it is believed to be useful, produced, and then reproduced by members of society. For example, the punishment system is not limited to the prison, but exists in literally all aspects of our lives including school, the workplace and even our homes. Foucault defines this as the prison synoptic model. This model exists through making people internalize its rules and implement them in their daily lives without thinking. It literally makes people conform.
Highlighted keywords and definitions according to Foucault:
Knowledge: Facts and “truths” are governed by power relations and systems of oppression. Knowledge is not universal, but rather specific to a particular moment in history-knowledge is “historically contingent.”
Power: Perceived as a mean of self-empowerment. Power is challenged by the normality of the world and forces people to conform.
Episteme: Each period of history’s “corresponding structure of thoughts”. It is a way members of society think at a certain period of history. The evolution from one episteme to the other means 2 things: one, that new thoughts will come to be; two, that other thoughts will be limited and oppressed.
Archeology: Method to define an episteme.
Genealogy: The study of one’s biological ancestors in order to understand their origin and true nature. This field of study is interested in observing the change in how a society thinks in relation to its power relations.
Reverse discourse: While dominating ideas “border up” and keep outside any “other” thoughts, these ideas pinpoint what is absent.
Ideological hegemony: Members accept and conform to the way society is.
Biopolitics: How an episteme governs what we know and understand of our bodies.
