Recent reviews of my Foucault books – Mike Gane, JM Moore and Nancy Luxon
Foucault: The Birth of Poweris reviewed by Nancy Luxon in Perspectives in Politics, and by JM Moore in Justice, Power and Resistance. That book, and Foucault’s Last Decadeare also discussed in a review essay by Mike Gane in Cultural Politics, which also looks at two of Foucault’s courses. The Gane essay is critical, the Moore one is very positive, while the Luxon is positive but opens up some issues about how we might use Foucault too. The Moore one is open access, the others are behind pay-walls.
I’m not going to get into a bigger debate, especially with Gane, where there are clearly fundamental disagreements. But I will point out a few things. If I had wanted to write a book about how to use Foucault, then I would have tried to do that. I’ve been clear all along that I’m trying to write intellectual…
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For what its worth, I thoroughly enjoyed Foucault’s Last Decade and the follow-up prequel is on my desk ready to read. Reading the book in concert with the lecture materials is revealing. To see how concepts now widely used (often in different ways) were developed at a particular time and place in Foucault’s thinking. I took away the sense of his evolving and unfinished thinking. I also enjoyed the reflective article about Foucault’s time in the US – the one with a photo showing Foucault in a cowboy hat! I have recommended the book widely.
Thanks Justin, that’s appreciated. Clare shared your comment with me.