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Foucault - The Key Ideas: Foucault’s legacy

By Paul Oliver

 

It is worthwhile considering the reasons for Foucault remaining one of the most cited academics within the social sciences. First of all, his writing and scholarship was so diverse that it is very difficult to place him within a particular school of thought. His work thus has very wide application in many different fields. He tended to oppose the idea of large-scale theories or ideologies, and looked for more specific explanations of phenomena. He was therefore interested in the mechanisms by which social processes occurred. Foucault was also, particularly in later life, involved in a wide range of social issues. These social questions largely concerned people who suffered some form of disadvantage in society. For example, he campaigned for the rights of prisoners, for the Vietnamese boat people, and for the right of homosexuals to be treated equally in society. In general, he emphasized the importance for people to retain their own autonomy and freedom, and argued against the expansion of the powers of the state, and of large organizations, because he felt that they sometimes tended to threaten personal autonomy. He encouraged ordinary people to make their voices heard because he believed that it was possible for ordinary citizens to exert power and influence within society.



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Foucault - The Key Ideas: Teach Yourself

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