Lecture 4 – Foucault & Democracy
Michel Foucault – Power & Knowledge
● Who he was: French philosopher/sociologist (1926–1984). Focused on how power
operates in subtle, hidden ways — not just through force, but through knowledge,
institutions, and everyday practices.
Discourse
● Definition: A system of language, ideas, and practices that shape how we see reality.
● Discourses don’t just describe things — they create categories (like “normal” vs
“abnormal”).
● Power works through discourse by defining what is true and who gets to speak with
authority.
Example: In medicine, the category of “mental illness” is created by experts. This discourse
defines who is sick, who needs treatment, and what counts as normal behavior.
Knowledge = Power
● Foucault argued that knowledge and power are inseparable.
● Institutions (schools, hospitals, prisons, governments) create knowledge that orders
and disciplines people.
● By controlling knowledge, they also control behavior.
Example: School tests don’t just measure knowledge; they sort students into categories
(gifted, average, struggling), which affects their opportunities.
The Episteme
● Every historical period has an episteme → the underlying structure of thought that
defines what can be known and said.
● These shift over time (e.g., medieval → enlightenment → modern science).
Key point: What counts as “truth” is historically specific, not universal.
Michel Foucault – Power & Knowledge
● Who he was: French philosopher/sociologist (1926–1984). Focused on how power
operates in subtle, hidden ways — not just through force, but through knowledge,
institutions, and everyday practices.
Discourse
● Definition: A system of language, ideas, and practices that shape how we see reality.
● Discourses don’t just describe things — they create categories (like “normal” vs
“abnormal”).
● Power works through discourse by defining what is true and who gets to speak with
authority.
Example: In medicine, the category of “mental illness” is created by experts. This discourse
defines who is sick, who needs treatment, and what counts as normal behavior.
Knowledge = Power
● Foucault argued that knowledge and power are inseparable.
● Institutions (schools, hospitals, prisons, governments) create knowledge that orders
and disciplines people.
● By controlling knowledge, they also control behavior.
Example: School tests don’t just measure knowledge; they sort students into categories
(gifted, average, struggling), which affects their opportunities.
The Episteme
● Every historical period has an episteme → the underlying structure of thought that
defines what can be known and said.
● These shift over time (e.g., medieval → enlightenment → modern science).
Key point: What counts as “truth” is historically specific, not universal.
