Foucault And Political Reason : Liberalism, Neo-Liberalism And The Rationalities Of Government

Despite the enormous influence of Michel Foucault on gender studies, social theory, and cultural studies, his work has been relatively neglected in the study of politics. Although he never published a book on the state, in the late 1970s Foucault examined the technologies of power used to regulate society and the ingenious recasting of power and agency that he saw as both consequence and condition of their operation. These twelve essays provide a critical introduction to Foucault's work on politics, exploring its relevance to past and current thinking about liberal and neo-liberal forms of government. Moving away from the great texts of liberal political philosophy, this book looks closely at the technical means with which the ideals of liberal political rationalities have been put into practice in such areas as schools, welfare, the insurance industry, and the self-esteem movement in California Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Contents......Page 7 Acknowledgements......Page 9 Contributors......Page 11 Introduction......Page 13 Chapter 1. Liberal government and techniques of the self......Page 31 Chapter 2. Governing “advanced” liberal democracies......Page 49 Chapter 3. Liberalism, socialism and democracy: variations on a governmental theme......Page 77 Chapter 4. The promise of liberalism and the performance of freedom......Page 93 Chapter 5. Security and vitality: drains, liberalism and power in the nineteenth century......Page 111 Chapter 6. Lines of communication and spaces of rule......Page 135 Chapter 7. Assembling the school......Page 155 Chapter 8. Governing the city: liberalism and early modern modes of governance......Page 179 Chapter 9. Risk and responsibility......Page 201 Chapter 10. Foucault, government and the enfolding of authority......Page 221 Chapter 11. Revolutions within: self-government and self-esteem......Page 243 Chapter 12. Foucault in Britain......Page 265 Index......Page 283 Foucault is often thought to have a great deal to say about the history of madness and sexuality, but little in terms of a general analysis of government and the state.; This volume draws on Foucault's own research to challenge this view, demonstrating the central importance of his work for the study of contemporary politics.; It focuses on liberalism and neo- liberalism, questioning the conceptual opposition of freedom/constraint, state/market and public/private that inform liberal thought.