Product Description

Foucault is one of those rare philosophers who has become a cult figure. Born in 1926 in France, over the course of his life he dabbled in drugs, politics, and the Paris SM scene, all whilst striving to understand the deep concepts of identity, knowledge, and power. From aesthetics to the penal system; from madness and civilisation to avant-garde literature, Foucault was happy to reject old models of thinking and replace them with versions that are still widely debated today. A major influence on Queer Theory and gender studies (he was openly gay and died of an AIDS-related illness in 1984), he also wrote on architecture, history, law, medicine, literature, politics and of course philosophy, and even managed a best-seller in France on a book dedicated to the history of systems of thought. Because of the complexity of his arguments, people trying to come to terms with his work have desperately sought introductory material that makes his theories clear and accessible for the beginner. Ideally suited for the Very Short Introductions series, Gary Gutting presents a comprehensive but non-systematic treatment of some highlights of Foucault's life and thought. Beginning with a brief biography to set the social and political stage, he then tackles Foucault's thoughts on literature, in particular the avant-garde scene; his philosophical and historical work; his treatment of knowledge and power in modern society; and his thoughts on sexuality.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16083 in Books
• Published on: 2005-03-24
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

About the Author
Gary Gutting is considered a leading expert on Foucault. Currently Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, Gutting has published several works on Foucault, including French Philosophy in the Twentieth Century (CUP, 2001); Michel Foucault's Archaeology of Scientific Reason (CUP, 1989); and was the editor of he Cambridge Companion to Foucault (CUP, 1994).

Customer Reviews

Good Introduction to a Complex Thinker
I think the reviewer before me was a little harsh on what is a short introduction to one of France's greatest intellectuals. This text book helped me through out my university years in grasping some of the key elements behind Foucault's text and also offers an insight into his thinking through out the years. I don't think the book is arbitrary (as mentioned by the previous reviewer) in covering what is a very massive body of work. It takes us through his ideas of power, politics, the birth of the institution, sexuality in a very accessible way. Notably, it is obviously not as concise as actually reading Foucault's writing, which can be very rewarding. But this little is a good book is effective in immersing you within Foucault's philosophy. My main criticism is that the last chapter on sexuality is somewhat a little meandering. Although it isn't classed as Foucault's strongest work, I do feel it doesn't capture the essence of 'history of sexuality' well enough. Overall i highly recommend it for those who want to an effective stepping stone into Foucault's work.

Opaque writing
I already knew some Foucault when I picked up this book and I expected to race through it like it did with the excellent Very Short Introduction to Litterary Theory.

I was, however, dissapointed to see a somewhat average and redundant text that seems to more in completely arbitrary directions instead of acutally trying to introduce Foucault's main lines of thought.

So if you decide to read this book you should know that it reads more like a loose set of meditations regarding Foucault's life and work than an actualy introduction to Foucalt.

Excellent review of Foucault's work
This is the first book of its kind that I've felt has taken me into Foucault's mind and work. He's a notoriously difficult author and he's been accused of deliberate obfuscation, so this is a real achievement.