Philosophy

Among the most influential of contemporary philosophers, Foucault stood directly opposed to the thinking of the “existentialist.” Critical of the humanism of post-WW II French philosophy, Foucault, largely influenced by Nietzsche, pursued what would in his early work become known as an “archeology” of knowledge and later as “genealogy.” The course will follow a close reading of The History of Sexuality in order to concentrate on his investigation into the construction of “human sexuality” as an object of “knowledge.” This investigation will be used to clarify Foucault’s recognition of the conditions of power that function in “discourse,” and how his philosophy serves as a critique of the origins and methods of the social sciences. Open to 2nd year students and above.