Foucault’s radical and incisive analysis of modernity has had a transformative effect on our understanding of history. This wide-ranging volume allows us to connect that analysis to his more neglected account of aesthetic modernism. It gives us a fuller and richer picture of a thinker who remains indispensable.
Simon During, Australian Research Professor, University of Queensland, Australia
David Scott has brought together an exceptional group of scholars to explore the range of Foucault’s penetrating analysis of modernity. The tripartite structure of the volume—which includes close readings of Foucault’s major books, analyses of Foucault’s engagements with modernist literature and art, and a glossary of Foucault’s key concepts—makes this a delightfully accessible and comprehensive guide to Foucault’s work.
Daniel W. Smith, Professor of Philosophy, Purdue University, USA
Michel Foucault (1926–84) devoted path-breaking works of critical analysis to deciphering “games of truth.” One of his notable preoccupations was the problem of historical discourse and its pronounced tendency toward periodization. The essays in the present, handsomely designed volume trace the mercurial philosopher’s many lines of inquiry converging on the problematic notion of modernity. Like other volumes in the<i> Understanding Philosophy, Understanding Modernism</i> series, the book comprises three main sections, one on conceptualizing, another on aesthetics, and a third offering a glossary. Most of the 19 contributors are young scholars working in the areas of philosophy, English, art, ethics, and religion—a range that lends this collection a cutting-edge flavor—and most are from North America, though universities abroad are represented. The essays in the first two sections are well crafted, insightful, and scholarly; the brief glossary and essays in part 3 highlight Foucault’s pivotal terms and make the volume especially useful for nonspecialists. ... Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty.
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