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Michel Foucault - From Archaeology to Genealogy

NPTEL-NOC IITM via YouTube

Overview

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Explore Michel Foucault's intellectual evolution in this 31-minute lecture that traces his methodological shift from archaeological analysis to genealogical investigation. Examine how Foucault moved beyond his earlier archaeological approach, which focused on uncovering the underlying structures and rules governing knowledge formation in different historical periods, to develop his genealogical method that emphasizes power relations, discontinuities, and the contingent nature of historical development. Analyze the key differences between these two methodological frameworks, understanding how archaeology seeks to map the conditions of possibility for knowledge within specific epistemes, while genealogy investigates how power and knowledge intersect to shape subjects and social practices. Discover how this methodological transformation influenced Foucault's later works on discipline, sexuality, and governmentality, and gain insight into how genealogy allows for a more dynamic understanding of history that challenges linear narratives and reveals the strategic nature of knowledge production. Learn to distinguish between Foucault's archaeological period, exemplified by works like "The Order of Things," and his genealogical phase, demonstrated in "Discipline and Punish" and "The History of Sexuality," while understanding how both approaches contribute to his broader project of critiquing modern forms of power and subjectification.

Syllabus

Michele Foucault - From archaeology to genealogy

Taught by

NPTEL-NOC IITM

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