First published in 1987. Our understanding of the nature of power
in western societies is currently undergoing a major reassessment.
The significance of this reassessment emerges forcefully through
comparing the writings of the principal exponents of Critical
Theory - Max Horkheimer, Herbert Marcuse and Jurgen Habermas - with
those of Michel Foucault. Peter Miller suggests that these two
traditions embody fundamentally distinct philosophical and
sociological principles. He grounds his analysis in the concepts of
domination (Critical Theory) and power (Foucault). Miller
identifies the notion of subjectivity as central to a
differentiation of the respective approaches of Critical Theory and
Foucault. For Critical Theory it is the repression of subjectivity
which provides the evidence of domination and the rationale for its
critique, while for Foucault subjectivity in western societies is
fabricated through power and linked to the deployment of specific
knowledges. Miller shows that despite the achievements of Critical
Theory in bringing to light the repressive nature of advanced
industrial societies, its thinking is inadequate as a basis for
future analysis and critique. He argues that Foucault's genealogy
of the modern subject, which highlights the role of the human
sciences in its fabrication, is a more fruitful basis for charting
and investigating the mode of operation of contemporary forms of
power. The book includes a survey of all published works by
Foucault, up to the time of his death in 1984, and commentaries on
the writings of Max Horkheimer, Herbert Marcuse and Jurgen
Habermas.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!