Foucault

Michel Foucault and Paul Veyne: the philosopher and the historian. Two major figures in the world of ideas, resisting all attempts at categorization. Two timeless thinkers who have long walked and fought together. In this short book Paul Veyne offers a fresh portrait of his friend and relaunches the debate about his ideas and legacy. Foucault is not who you think he is , writes Veyne; he stood neither on the left nor on the right and was frequently disowned by both. He was not so much a structuralist as a sceptic, an empiricist disciple of Montaigne, who never ceased in his work to reflect on 'truth games', on singular, constructed truths that belonged to their own time. A unique testimony by a scholar who knew Foucault well, this book succeeds brilliantly in grasping the core of his thought and in stripping away the confusions and misunderstandings that have so often characterized the interpretation of Foucault and his work.

Michel Foucault and Paul Veyne: the philosopher and the historian.Two major figures in the world of ideas, resisting all attempts atcategorization. Two timeless thinkers who have long walked andfought together. In this short book Paul Veyne offers a freshportrait of his friend and relaunches the debate about his ideasand legacy. 'Foucault is not who you think he is'writes Veyne; he stood neither on the left nor on the right and wasfrequently disowned by both. He was not so much a structuralist asa sceptic, an empiricist disciple of Montaigne, who never ceased inhis work to reflect on 'truth games', on singular, constructedtruths that belonged to their own time.A unique testimony by a scholar who knew Foucault well, this booksucceeds brilliantly in grasping the core of his thought and instripping away the confusions and misunderstandings that have sooften characterized the interpretation of Foucault and his work.

Introduction 11 In Universal History, Everything is Singular:'Discourse' 52 There is No 'a priori' that is Not Historical223 Foucault's Scepticism 374 Archaeology 545 Universalism, Universals, Epigenesis: The Beginnings ofChristianity 596 Notwithstanding Heidegger, Man is an Intelligent Animal 667 The Physical and Human Sciences: Foucault's Programme778 A Sociological History of Truths: Knowledge, Power, the Set-up929 Was Foucault a Corrupter of the Young? Was He the Despair ofthe Workers' Movement? 11110 Foucault and Politics 12511 Portrait of a Samurai 135Notes 147Index 187