Michel Foucault Summary

Michel Foucault born in 1926, began his career as a French philosopher, he was interested in the power relations between humans and the various social and cultural institutions present. He focuses his study on how those institutions have different models using which they make humans in to subjects. He chooses to call this the objectification of the subject and says that there are three ways this happens.

The first method is through what he calls dividing pract ices. In this method, he observes how the subject is objectified through some sort of a division socially or within himself i.e internal to him.

This process is one which is generally done based on some sort of social or cultural standard which creates and separates people into

All this rests on the patient trusting the analyst and this process of “curing” could take a long and unpredictable time. Psychoanalysis, in the time of its genesis was accepted because it freed the mind from being a hereditary product and instilled a new sense of individuality. However this was a naïve belief as increased practice of this science killed this very individuality.

Analysis:

Freudian psychoanalysis gave a new lens to analyse human behaviour, even the mind became subject to scientific study. The practice of psychoanalysis rested on a belief in the existence of the normal and the pathological. Foucault’s objectification of the subject is widely practiced. Consider a criminal in jail, he is now not only spatially divided from the so called “normal” society but his social identity is now a pathological one.

Consider the famous example of homosexuality itself. Say there is a boy who has a different sexual orientation that does not fit into what is called the “normal”. T hough a subtle influence of dividing principles, he is categorised as pathological requiring treatment and sent to a therapist.

He may experience guilt or feel responsible; this is a manife station of a subject objectifying himself and a consequence of repressive hypothesis by the therapist. In a typical Fruedian society, objectification becomes natural. The psychoanalyst whom the society has certified as capable of treating patients has enor mous power to influence the subconscious mind of his subject, leading him onto a path of normalcy. Freud claims his theory to be essential to the welfare of the individual and society. Due to various underlying assumptions in psychoanalysis, it may sometimes lead to unfair practices of marginalising in society. Human behaviour has become more predictable and society has become extremely ordered. Individual freedom has been compromised. (Malchman & Alan)

Foucault points out that not only is this idea of psychoanalysis lack a strong base, but the notions of normal are a opinion of some people in society, and this blind belief in a theory that is based on a number of implicit assumptions is dangerous to a developing society. The objective of Foucault's critique is mainly to question scientific thinking and these accepted ideas of normal