Read the full article which is published on Philosophy Bits (external link)If someone you didn’t know told you that you absolutely must do something, you wouldn’t believe them. You’d be deeply skeptical of their claim. If the person seemed especially serious, you might ask for clarification or some kind of explanation. You’d want reasons to justify whatever it is you’re being told you must do.
If you were provided with reasons and they were convincing, you would then move to negotiation. You’d complain that what you’ve been told sounds too complicated or involved. You’d argue that you couldn’t possibly be expected to put in so much effort. Surely you don’t need to do exactly this. Surely there must be something else that would do the job adequately.
If you were told that you cannot alter what is required and you must do exactly this, you would shift to denial. You’d declare that you don’t actually need to do it. You’d assert that you are the master of your own life. You’d proclaim that you make your own choices.
Poststructuralism as a Regime of Truth: Foucault and the Paradox of Philosophical Authority
Foucault’s critique of power and knowledge shaped poststructuralism, yet its rejection of truth risks becoming its own orthodoxy. To remain...
