Advanced Theory Seminar:

Michel Foucault
(G93.3112)

Prof. David Garland Spring 2010

Conference Room, Sociology Thursdays 4.00-6.00 pm
Puck Building, 4th Floor

Course description
This seminar will critically examine Foucault’s substantive historical studies and the
concepts that he develops there, focusing upon those analyses that have the greatest
significance for sociological research. We will discuss Madness and Civilization, The
Birth of the Clinic, The Archaeology of Knowledge, The Order of Things, Discipline and
Punish, The History of Sexuality vol 1, and his later essays on “Governmentality” and
“Technologies of the Self”.

Discussion will focus upon Foucault’s analyses of power; his account of the human
sciences and their role in social institutions; dividing practices and forms of
objectification; technologies of the self and subjectification; and finally the idea of
rationalities of rule and “governmentality.” We will also explore the methodological
approaches that Foucault described as “archaeology”, “genealogy” and “history of the
present”. Although we focus on Foucault’s own major texts, we will also examine some
work by other authors who use a Foucauldian style of analysis or else are critical of it.

The aim of the course is to enable students to understand this complex and influential
body of work, to explore its relationship to other sociological and historical scholarship,
and to appreciate how Foucauldian concepts and methods might be used in their own
research.

Course requirements
Prior experience: Students must previously have taken a graduate class in social theory

Preparation and participation: Students taking this seminar will be required to do a

considerable amount of intensive reading each week; to take an active part in classroom
discussions; and to prepare short expositional memos during the term.

Reading
Each week, all students will be required to do the “essential reading” as described below.
In addition, two individual students will be given responsibility for writing a brief memo
(no more than 3 pages, single spaced) summarizing the argument of that week’s reading.
These memos are to be submitted to the instructor by midnight the day before the class.
For each of our sessions, I will suggest one or two secondary works that provide a useful
exposition or critique of the Foucauldian works we are reading. Students are encouraged

1
(but not required) to read these. Finally, at the end of the syllabus, I provide a long list of
further readings that should be useful for preparing term papers or for doing further
research.

Assessment
The quality and extent of students’ participation in class, together with the individual
student memos, will count for 25% of the final grade. Each student will be required to do
a term paper (maximum of 20 typed, double spaced pages) on a subject to be agreed with
the instructor. These papers will count for the remaining 75% of the grade.

Topics for papers are to be developed by individual students in consultation with the
instructor. Students are expected to have settled on an approved topic and to have
presented a two page outline for approval, by the end of April at the latest. Earlier is
better. Term papers are due on the last day of the exam period.

Required Books
The books listed below will form the basis of the reading for the course. They have been
ordered at the NYU bookstore and ought to be purchased. They will not be made
available as photocopies.

Foucault, Madness and Civilization

Foucault, The Birth of the Clinic
Foucault, Discipline and Punish
Foucault, The Order of Things
Foucault, The Archeaology of Knowledge
Foucault, The History of Sexuality: An Introduction
Burchell (ed) The Foucault Effect
Hubert Dreyfus and Paul Rabinow. Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and
Hermeneutics

Recommended secondary works:

These are useful introductions to Foucault’s work.
Gary Gutting, Michel Foucault: A Very Short Introduction
Eric Paras, Foucault 2.0
Foucault, Power/Knowedge: Selected Interviews etc 1972-77 (edited by Colin Gordon)
James Miller, The Passion of Michel Foucault

Copies of all essential and individually assigned readings not contained in these books
will be made available on the class Blackboard site. If you have any difficulty accessing
or downloading these, please contact my assistant Janelle Pitterson at
[email protected]

2
The “Further readings” noted at the end of the syllabus are provided for students wishing
to learn more about the specific topic. These lists include many expositional works that
should help students grasp Foucault’s arguments. They should also be useful in
preparation for term papers.

Readings

NB Readings marked *** are posted on the course’s Blackboard site

1: January 21st Introduction

For this first class, students should read one or more of these overviews:
Ian Hacking: Historical Ontology chapter 4 “The Archaeology of Foucault” (also
available in D.C.Hoy (ed) Foucault:A Critical Reader pp 27-40) ***
Gary Gutting: The Cambridge Companion to Foucault “Introduction: Michel
Foucault: A User’s manual” pp 1-27 ***
Edward Said: “Michel Foucault, 1926-1984” in J. Arac (ed) After Foucault pp 1-
11 ***

2. January 28th Discipline and Punish I

Essential Reading
Foucault: Discipline and Punish Parts 1 & 2 (pp 3-131)

Expositional/Critical
David Garland, Punishment and Modern Society chs 6 and 7 ***
Foucault, “Prison Talk” in Gordon (ed) Power/Knowledge ***

3. February 4th Discipline and Punish II

Essential Reading
Foucault: Discipline and Punish Parts 3 & 4 (pp 135-308)

Expositional/Critical:
H. Dreyfus & P. Rabinow: Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and
Hermeneutics Ch. 5, “Interpretive Analytics”
Foucault, “The Eye of Power” in Gordon (ed) Power/Knowledge ***

4. February 11th Madness and Civilization I

Essential reading

3
 Foucault: Madness and Civilization pp1-158

Expositional/Critical
G. Gutting: “Foucault and the History of Madness” in G. Gutting (ed) The
Cambridge Companion to Foucault ***

5. February 18th Madness and Civilization II

Essential reading
Foucault: Madness and Civilization pp159-289

Critical/Expositional
H. Dreyfus & P. Rabinow: Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and
Hermeneutics pp 3-12, “The History of Madness”

6. February 25th The Birth of the Clinic

Essential reading
Foucault: The Birth of the Clinic Entire book (Preface & pp3-199)

Expositional/Critical
H. Dreyfus & P. Rabinow: Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and
Hermeneutics pp 12-15, “The Archaeology of Medicine”
F. Delaporte: “The History of Medicine according to Foucault” in
J. Goldstein (ed) Foucault and the Writing of History pp.137-149
63-93 ***

7. March 4th The Order of Things

Essential Reading:
Foucault: The Order of Things passim, especially Foreword to the English edition,
Preface, pp 3-16 and pp 344-387

Expositional/Critical
H. Dreyfus & P. Rabinow: Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and
Hermeneutics Ch 2, “The Archaeology of the Human Sciences”

8. March 11th The Archaeology of Knowledge

Essential reading
Foucault: The Archaeology of Knowledge passim but esp pp. 3-55 and 135-140

4
 Foucault: “The Order of Discourse” in R. Young (ed) Untying the Text (also
reprinted as an afterword in The Archaeology of Knowledge)

Expositional/Critical
H. Dreyfus & P. Rabinow: Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and
Hermeneutics Ch 3, “Towards a Theory of Discursive Practice”

Spring Recess 15th – 19th March - no classes

9. March 25th The History of Sexuality I

Essential reading
Foucault: The History of Sexuality: Volume 1 An Introduction pp 1-159

Expositional/Critical
H. Dreyfus & P. Rabinow: Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and
Hermeneutics Ch 8, “The Genealogy of the Modern Subject as Individual”
Foucault: “Power and Sex” in L. D. Kritzman (ed) Michel Foucault: Politics,
Philosophy, Culture ***

10. April 1st The History of Sexuality II (Techniques of the Self)

Essential reading
Foucault: The Use of Pleasure: The History of Sexuality, vol. 2, Chapters 1, 2 and
3: pp 1-32 ***
Foucault: The Care of the Self: The History of Sexuality, vol. 3, pp. 34 (last
paragraph on the page) -68 ***
Foucault: “Technologies of the Self” pp 223-251 in P. Rabinow (ed) M. Foucault:
Ethics, Subjectivity, Truth (reprinted as chapter 2 in Luther Martin et al
(eds) Technologies of the Self: A Seminar with Michel Foucault) ***

Expositional/Critical
Foucault: “On the Genealogy of Ethics” in H. Dreyfus & P. Rabinow: Michel
Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and Hermeneutics (and in P. Rabinow (ed)
M. Foucault: Ethics, Subjectivity, Truth)

11. April 8th Biopolitics and Governmentality

Essential reading

5
 Foucault: “Governmentality” in in J.D.Faubion (ed) Michel Foucault: Power pp
201-222 (Reprinted in G. Burchell et al (eds) The Foucault Effect pp. 87-
104 ***
Foucault: “Omnes et singulatim” in J.D.Faubion (ed) Michel Foucault: Power
pp. 298-325. (Reprinted as Ch. 4 “Politics and Reason” in L.D.Kritzman
(ed) Michel Foucault: Politics, Philosophy, Culture) ***
Foucault: “The Subject and Power” pp 208-228 in H. Dreyfus & P. Rabinow:
Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and Hermeneutics (Reprinted in
J.D.Faubion (ed) Michel Foucault: Power at pp 326-348)

Expositional/Critical
D. Garland, “An Introduction to Governmentality” ***
C. Gordon: “Governmental Rationality: An Introduction” in G. Burchell et al
(eds) The Foucault Effect ***

12. April 15th The Foucault Effect I – Jacques Donzelot

Essential Reading
J. Donzelot: The Policing of Families esp. Foreword by Deleuze, Preface to
English edition; chs 1, 3, 4, and 5 ***

Expositional/Critical
Paul Hirst, “The Genesis of the Social”; Fran Bennett et al. “Feminists:
Degenerates of the Social” and Hirst, “Reply” – all in Politics and Power
vol 3 pp 67-95 ***

13. April 22nd The Foucault Effect II – Hacking, Rose, Miller and Ian
Hacking and Nikolas Rose

Essential Reading
Ian Hacking, Historical Ontology ch 6 “Making Up People” ***
Ian Hacking: “How Should We Do the History of Statistics?” in
G. Burchell et al (eds) The Foucault Effect Ch. 9 ***
Peter Miller and Nikolas Rose, Political Power Beyond the State: Problematics of
Government” British Journal of Sociology 43/2 (1992) pp 173-205
(reprinted in Miller and Rose, Governing the Present) ***
Robert Castel, “From Dangerousness to Risk” in G. Burchell et al (eds) The
Foucault Effect Ch. 14 ***

6
14. April 29th Critiques of Foucault

For this final class, students should read one or more of these critical responses:
Mark Lilla, The Reckless Mind Chapter on Foucault ***
Michael Walzer: “The Politics of Michel Foucault” in D. C. Hoy (ed) Foucault: A
Critical Reader ***
Charles Taylor: “Foucault on Freedom and Truth” in D.C. Hoy (ed) Foucault: A
Critical Reader ***
David Hoy: “Power, Repression, Progress” in D. C. Hoy (ed) Foucault: A Critical
Reader ***
Dennis Wrong: “1988 Preface” to Power: Its Forms, Bases and Uses ***
Jurgen Habermas: The Philosophical Discourse of Modernity Ch. X “Some
Questions Concerning the Theory of Power: Foucault Again” ***
Jean Baudrillard, Forget Foucault ***

Further readings

General works on Foucault

Hubert Dreyfus and Paul Rabonow, Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and
Hermeneutics
Gilles Deleuze, Foucault
Eric Paras, Foucault 2.0
David Hoy (ed) Foucault: A Critical Reader

Discipline and Punish

Foucault: “Truth and Juridical Forms” in J. Faubion (ed) Michel Foucault: Power
F. Ewald, “A Power Without An Exterior” in T.J. Armstrong (ed) Michel
Foucault: Philosopher pp.169-175
G. Deleuze: “Postscript on Control Societies” in G. Deleuze, Negotiations
D. Garland: Punishment and Modern Society, Ch. 7
Foucault, Society Must be Defended: Lectures at the College de France 1975-6
Foucault: “Prison Talk” in Gordon (ed) Power/Knowledge
Colin Gordon, “Afterword” in Power/Knowledge
Foucault: “Body/Power” in Gordon (ed) Power/Knowledge
Foucault: “Penal Theories and Institutions” pp 17-21 in P. Rabinow (ed) M.
Foucault: Ethics, Subjectivity, Truth
Foucault: “The Punitive Society” pp 23-37 in P. Rabinow (ed) M. Foucault:
Ethics, Subjectivity, Truth
Foucault, Psychiatric Power: Lectures at the College de France 1973-4

7
 Foucault, Abnormal: Lectures at the College de France 1973-4
Foucault (ed): I Pierre, Riviere
Foucault: “What Calls for Punishment” in Foucault Live
Foucault: “Questions of Method” in G. Burchell et al (eds) The Foucault Effect
H. Dreyfus & P. Rabinow: Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and
Hermenuetics, Ch. 7
Foucault: “About the Concept of the Dangerous Individual” in L. D. Kritzman
(ed) Michel Foucault: Politics, Philosophy, Culture pp. 125-151 and in
J.D.Faubion (ed) Michel Foucault: Power pp176-200
F. Ewald: “A Power without Exterior” in T.J. Armstrong (ed) Michel Foucault:
Philosopher
Paul Hirst: “Power/Knowledge: Constructed Space and the Subject” in R. Fardon
(ed) Power/Knowledge
E. Goffman: Asylums Ch.1 “On the Characteristics of Total Institutions” pp 15-72
G. Sykes: The Society of Captives Ch. 3 “The Defects of Total Power” pp 40-63

Madness and Civilization

Foucault, “Madness and Society”, in J. D. Faubion (ed) Michel Foucault:
Aesthetics, Method and Epistemology, pp. 335-342
Foucault: “Madness, an absence of work” in A. Davidson (ed) Foucault and his
Interlocutors pp. 97-104
Colin Gordon: “Histoire de la folie: an unknown book by Michel Foucault” in
History of the Human Sciences Vol. 3 No. 1
Responses to Colin Gordon by R. Castel, D. LaCapra, J.G. Merquior, H.C.Erik
Midelfort, R. Porter, A. Scull, P. Barham, J. Goldstein, A. Megill, G.
Pearson, N. Rose. Reply by C. Gordon in History of the Human Sciences
Vol. 3 No. 1 & Vol. 3 no. 3.
H. C. Erik Midelfort: “Madness and Civilization in Early Modern Europe: A
Reappraisal of Foucault” in B.C. Malament (ed) After the Reformation
P. Hirst & P. Woolley: Social Relations and Human Attributes, Ch. 9
B. S. Turner: Medical Power and Social Knowledge, Ch. 4
L. Stone: “Madness” & “An exchange with Michel Foucault” in L.Stone, The Past
and the Present Revisited
P. Sedgwick: Psycho Politics Ch. 5 “Michel Foucault: The Anti-History of
Psychiatry” pp 125-148
R. Porter: Mind-Forg’d Manacles pp 6-9

The Birth of the Clinic

Foucault: “The Politics of Health in the 18th century” in C.Gordon (ed)
Power/Knowledge (and in M. Foucault: Ethics)
N. Rose: “Medicine, History and the Present” in C. Jones & R. Porter (eds)
Reassessing Foucault pp 48-72
B. S. Turner: Medical Power and Social Knowledge, Ch. 8 pp 157-171
T. Osborne: “On Anti-Medicine and Clinical Reason” in C. Jones & R. Porter
(eds) Reassessing Foucault pp. 28-47

8
 T. Osborne: “Medicine and Epistemology: Michel Foucault and the Liberality of
Clinical Reason”, The History of the Human Sciences (1992) vol 5 no 2 pp
63-93.

The Order of Things

Foucault: “The Order of Things” (An interview conducted by R. Bellours) in J. D.
Faubion (ed) Michel Foucault: Aesthetics, Method and Epistemology, pp.
261-267
G. Canguilhem: “The Death of Man, or the Exhaustion of Cogito” in G. Gutting
(ed) The Cambridge Companion to Foucault pp.71-91
Gary Gutting, Michel Foucault’s Archaeology of Scientific Reason chs 4 & 5
Alan Sheridan, Michel Foucault: The Will to Truth ch. 2, “The World,
Representation, Man”.
Ian Hacking, Historical Ontology Ch 5 “Foucault’s Immature Science”

The Archaeology of Knowledge

Foucault: “Nietzsche, Genealogy, History” in P. Rabinow (ed) The Foucault
Reader and in J.D.Faubion (ed) Michel Foucault: Aesthetics,
Method and Epistemology pp369-391
R. Castel, “’Problematization’ as a Mode of Reading History” in J. Goldstein (ed)
Foucault and the Writing of History
G. Deleuze: Foucault pp 1-22 & 47-69
A. Davidson: “Archaeology, Genealogy, Ethics” in D.C. Hoy (ed) Foucault: A
Critical Reader

The History of Sexuality vol 1

L. Stone: The Past and the Present Revisited ch. 19 on “Sexuality”.
L. McNay: Foucault and Feminism esp chs 1 & 2
A. Hussain: “Foucault’s History of Sexuality”, m/f no 5&6 pp 169-191
Foucault, Herculine Barbin
Foucault: “The History of Sexuality” in C.Gordon (ed) Power/Knowledge
Foucault: “The Confession of the Flesh” in C.Gordon (ed) Power/Knowledge
M. Cousins & A. Hussain: Michel Foucault Ch 9

The History of Sexuality vols 2 and 3

Foucault: “Preface to the History of Sexuality Vol 2 ” pp 199-205 in
P. Rabinow (ed) M. Foucault: Ethics, Subjectivity, Truth pp. 199-205
Foucault, The Hermeneutics of the Subject: Lectures at the College de France
1981-2
A. Davidson: “Ethics as Ascetics” in G.Gutting (ed) The Cambridge
Companion to Foucault
Foucault: “Self Writing” in in P. Rabinow (ed) M. Foucault: Ethics, Subjectivity,
Truth (reprinted in A.Davidson (ed) Foucault and his Interlocutors as
“Writing the Self”)

9
 Foucault: “The Ethics of the Concern for Self as a Practice of Freedom” in P.
Rabinow (ed) M. Foucault: Ethics, Subjectivity, Truth pp 253-281
Foucault: “On the Government of the Living” pp 81-85 in P. Rabinow (ed) M.
Foucault: Ethics, Subjectivity, Truth
Foucault: “Subjecivity and Truth” pp 87-92 in P. Rabinow (ed) M. Foucault:
Ethics, Subjectivity, Truth
Foucault: “The Hermeneutics of the Subject” pp 93-106 in P. Rabinow (ed) M.
Foucault: Ethics, Subjectivity, Truth

Biopolitics and Governmentality

Foucault. The Birth of Biopolitics: Lectures at the College de France 1978-9
Foucault. Security, Territory, Population: Lectures at the College de France
1977-8
F. Ewald: “Insurance and Risk” in G. Burchell et al (eds.) The Foucault Effect Ch.
10
R. Castel: “From Dangerousness to Risk” in G. Burchell et al (eds) The
Foucault Effect Ch. 14
Foucault: “Social Security” in in J.D.Faubion (ed) Michel Foucault: Power
and also reprinted as Ch. 5 “Politics and Reason” in L.D.Kritzman (ed)
Michel Foucault: Politics, Philosphy, Culture
D. Garland: “Governmentality and the Problem of Crime: Foucault,
Criminology, Sociology” in Theoretical Criminology vol. 1 No. 3
Foucault: “Security, Territory and Population” pp 67-71 in P. Rabinow (ed) M.
Foucault: Ethics, Subjectivity, Truth
Foucault: “The birth of biopolitics” pp 73-79 in P. Rabinow (ed) M.
Foucault: Ethics, Subjectivity, Truth
G. Burchell et al (eds) The Foucault Effect
M. Dean: Critical and Effective Histories Ch. 9

10