Foucault (Deleuze book)

Foucault is a book by Gilles Deleuze, published in French in 1986 and in English translation in 1988. It is a critical and engaged analysis of the work of Michel Foucault, focusing on Foucault's contributions to philosophy and his development of key concepts such as power, knowledge, discourse, and subjectivity.

Deleuze's Foucault is not simply an exposition of Foucault's ideas, but rather an intervention and extension of them. Deleuze identifies and elaborates on what he sees as the crucial turning points and underlying logic of Foucault's intellectual journey. He highlights the shift from Foucault's archaeological period, concerned with the historical a priori and the rules governing discourse, to his genealogical period, focused on power relations and the production of subjectivity.

Key concepts Deleuze analyzes in relation to Foucault's work include:

• Statements and Visibility: Deleuze explores how Foucault moves beyond analyzing statements as linguistic propositions to understanding them as components of discursive formations that shape what can be seen and said.
• Power and Knowledge: Deleuze emphasizes the inseparability of power and knowledge in Foucault's work, arguing that power is not merely repressive but also productive, shaping knowledge and subjectivities.
• Stratification: Deleuze introduces the concept of stratification to explain how discourses and power relations are layered and organized, forming complex systems of control and meaning.
• The Diagram: Deleuze identifies the diagram as a key concept in Foucault's analysis of power, representing the abstract machine that generates specific power relations within a given social field.
• Subjectivation: Deleuze focuses on how Foucault examines the processes through which individuals are constituted as subjects through power relations and practices of self-formation.
• The Outside: Deleuze interprets Foucault's later work as a search for the "outside," a space of resistance and potential transformation that lies beyond the grasp of dominant power structures. This relates to Foucault's interest in ethics and practices of self-care.

Deleuze's Foucault is considered a significant work in its own right, offering not only a valuable interpretation of Foucault's thought but also advancing Deleuze's own philosophical project. It demonstrates the influence of Foucault on Deleuze's thinking and contributes to the development of a critical perspective on power, knowledge, and subjectivity. It is often read in conjunction with Foucault's own writings to gain a deeper understanding of his complex and influential ideas.