Did Foucault Do Ethics? The "Ethical Turn", Neoliberalism, and the Problem of Truth
Abstract
This paper argues against a common misunderstanding of Foucault's work. Even after the release of his lectures at the Collège de France, which ran throughout the 1970s until his death in 1984, he is still often taken to have made an "ethical" turn toward the end of his life. As opposed to his genealogies of power published in the 1970s, which are relentlessly suspicious of claims of individual agency, his final monographs focus on the ethical self-formation of free individuals. I suggest that this basic misinterpretation makes possible interpretations of Foucault's work as being sympathetic to neoliberal government, by linking the ethical turn to a "liberal" or "neoliberal" turn in his thought. I present a case against the ethical turn by arguing that Foucault's main focus, throughout the 1970s and 1980s, is a concern for the ways in which we become obligated by truth.
Recommended Citation
Gamez, P. (2018). Did Foucault Do Ethics? The "Ethical Turn", Neoliberalism, and the Problem of Truth. Journal of French Philosophy, 26(1) University Library System, University of Pittsburgh.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.5195/jffp.2018.818
Department(s)
Arts, Languages, and Philosophy
Keywords and Phrases
Veridiction; Governmentality; Biopolitics; Foucault; Ethics; Truth; Neoliberalism
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
1936-6280;2155-1162
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2018 University Library System, University of Pittsburgh, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Jan 2018
