Foucault and Philosophy

One of the most influential contemporary thinkers, Michel Foucault produced a complex body of work across a wide range of academic disciplines. Foucault and Philosophy presents a collection of thought provoking essays that explore Foucault s writings as a philosopher –– both in relation to philosophers who were important to him and in the context of a range of significant themes and areas of dispute in contemporary philosophy.

Foucault s personal philosophical development and his contributions to a broader field of philosophical reflection are revealed through a series of thematically arranged contributions from an international cast of distinguished philosophers and leading Foucault scholars. Foucault′s philosophical development is first traced through essays that place him in the context of his relationship to ancient philosophy, phenomenology, Marxism, structuralism; and to figures such as Kant, Heidegger, Nietzsche, Habermas, and others. Further essays then evaluate the major contribution of Foucault′s thought to some of the central philosophical problems of our time, including freedom, knowledge, subjectivity, ethics, power, and the nature of philosophy itself.

With the 25th anniversary of Foucault′s death upon us, Foucault and Philosophy offers a timely and invaluable scholarly reconsideration of the philosophical development and legacy of a controversial and iconic figure of 20th–century thought.

List of Contributors.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction: Foucault′s Philosophy (Christopher Falzon & Timothy O′Leary).

1 Foucault, Hegel, and Philosophy (Gary Gutting).

2 "I am Simply a Nietzschean" (Hans Sluga).

3 Foucault, Heidegger, and the History of Truth (Timothy Rayner).

4 The Entanglement of Power and Validity: Foucault and Critical Theory (Amy Allen).

5 Foucault, Davidson, and Interpretation (C. G. Prado).

6 The "Death of Man": Foucault and Anti–Humanism (Béatrice Han–Pile).

7 Foucault′s Theory of Knowledge (Barry Allen).

8 Rethinking Experience with Foucault (Timothy O′Leary).

9 Foucault, Queer Theory, and the Discourse of Desire (Jana Sawicki).

10 Foucault and Normative Political Philosophy (Paul Patton).

11 Foucault, Philosopher of Dialogue (Christopher Falzon).

Index.

Timothy O Leary teaches Philosophy at the University of Hong Kong. He has published widely on Foucault, especially in relation to ethics and literature. He is the author of Foucault and the Art of Ethics (2002, 2006) and Foucault and Fiction: The Experience Book (2009).

Christopher Falzon is a lecturer in Philosophy at The University of Newcastle. He is the author of Foucault and Social Dialogue (1998) and Philosophy Goes to the Movies (2002).

"Summing Up: Recommended. Upper–division undergraduates through researchers/faculty." (Choice, 1 August 2011)

"In sum, then, O′Leary and Falzon have brought together a good and interesting set of essays that are well worth reading. This volume will be of interest to all scholars who work with Foucault′s texts and might be recommended to advanced undergraduate students." (Notre Dame, 22 March 2011) 

"As a whole the volume on Foucault′s relation to philosophy is a fascinating contribution to the vast literature on his work. Although the papers within the volume were somewhat short, they open up many divergent areas of potential research for the future." (Metapsychology Online, January 2011)