Michel Foucault (October 15, 1926–June 25, 1984) was a French philosopher, historian of ideas, social theorist, philologist and literary critic. He received his B.A. and M.A. in Philosophy from the École Normale Supérieure, his B.A. in Psychology and DrE from the University of Paris.
His writings focus on social constructionism, queer theory, relationship between power and knowledge, and how they are used as a form of social control through societal institution, historical account of the formation of ideas, geneaology, governmentality/biopolitics, and ethics.
Representative Publications
“Discipline and Punish, Panopticism.” In Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison, edited by Alan Sheridan, 195-228. New York: Vintage Books, 1977
“Polemics, Politics and Problematizations.” In Essential Works of Foucault, edited by Paul Rabinow. Vol. 1 “Ethics”. The New Press, 1998
“The Courage of Truth: The Government of Self and Others II – First Lecture” In Lectures at the Collège de France, edited by Graham Burchell. Picador, 1984
Open Access Debate 