Episode #123 - Michel Foucault Pt. 3 - Power
Episode #123 - Michel Foucault Pt. 3 - Power
This episode continues the series on Michel Foucault by exploring how he challenged the idea that truth is universal and progress is rational. Building on earlier discussions of Kant, science, and criminal justice, it focuses on Madness and Civilization, where Foucault argues that modern approaches to mental illness are not more humane, but part of a broader system that objectifies and controls people under the guise of care. His method evolves from “archaeology,” which uncovers forgotten ways of thinking, to “genealogy,” which traces how ideas develop through power. Foucault reveals that modern power is no longer top-down and repressive, but diffuse and productive, shaping norms, behaviors, and identities through what he calls biopower. Rather than silencing us, power invites confession, self-surveillance, and conformity to scientific discourse. The episode closes by emphasizing that Foucault’s aim isn’t to replace dominant narratives, but to question them—revealing how they shape our lives and asking what might lie beyond them.
Further Reading:
Foucault: A Very Short Introduction by Gary Gutting (2005)
The Philosophy of Foucault by Todd May (2006)
Biopower: Foucault and Beyond edited by Vernon W. Cisney and Nicolae Morar (2015)
See the full transcript here.
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