First published 1991
In these groundbreaking lectures, philosopher Michel Foucault dissects the hidden mechanics of modern governance. Tracing the evolution of "governmentality" from the reason of state to contemporary social welfare, Foucault reveals how the very notion of government has been constructed - not discovered. With essays from leading scholars, The Foucault Effect challenges our assumptions about the inevitability of political institutions, exposing them as contingent products of history, discourse, and power. Compelling and provocative, this collection lays bare the inventedness of the state, reframing how we think about the exercise of authority.
Genres: philosophy, political-science, sociology, academic
Vibes: dark, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: academic, political
Period: 20th-century
318 pages · Hardcover · University of Chicago Press