Read the full article which is published on Philosophy Bits (external link)When I feel an unmet need, my first impulse is to look for a material solution. I’m lacking something, so I reason there must be some object or experience that could fill the void. And indeed, many problems of need can be solved in this way. In particular, I manage to meet the majority of the needs of my body through material solutions reached through simple practical reasoning. So it is perhaps no surprise that seeking a material solution is my first reaction.
I then begin searching for some object or experience that I believe will meet my need. If I have access to resources, this might be straightforward, but if I do not, I might need to expend incredible time and effort to obtain what I am seeking. But even after expending considerable resources and perhaps attaining some temporary happiness, the problem of need persists. Despite the improvement of my material situation, my need remains unchanged.
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...
