FUKO for dummies or A critique of Society and Education in America at the Turn of the Millenium Applying the Philosophy of Michel Foucalt

A detailed Summary of FUKO for dummies or A critique of Society and Education in America at the Turn of the Millenium Applying the Philosophy of Michel Foucalt

A Critique of Society and Education in America at the Turn of the Millennium Applying the Philosophy of Michel Foucault

This is a convenient illustration for the basic tenant of Foucault's philosophy, "Discourse creates truth." What this means is that there is nothing inherent about a pipe which makes it "a pipe." Society as we know it creates labels for all sorts of things, and when those labels enter our common discourse, they are accepted as truth, or knowledge. If everyone stopped referring to the above as a pipe, it would stop being a pipe.

Unfortunately, the same is true for people. If Paco is labeled a "jerk," when he is indeed not a "jerk," and it passes into common discourse that "Paco is a jerk," then this will become true. People will look at him differently now that he is a "jerk," they will act differently, and most importantly he will become a "jerk," because of how he acts and thinks of himself. This creation of truth which turned average Paco into a "jerk" is a very significant process, by which society derives its power over the individuals in the society, in this case Paco. By controlling the original discourse, th

One of the most important forums of discourse, and so power-knowledge sphere creation, is our school system. Society tells us that one should not try to learn independently, i.e. outside of school. This would make you "un-cool" or show preoccupation with academics, or some other negative label. Thus, the primary source where we learn about most values and ideologies is school. (Of course all teachers and schools pay lip-service to independent thought or outside learning, although few seriously believe that children really will learn or more importantly inculcate themselves this way.) Control of public and private schools is relatively easy. Public school children take standardized tests, read standardized textbooks, and are often forced to take standardized values inculcation courses such as "Health," which is more about why drugs, sex, racism, sexism, etc. are "bad" than about brushing teeth and taking vitamins. Not any less importantly, though, are the taboos and norms which all teachers are expected to observe. Teachers should be good examples, and uphold morals. These morals, though, are set by society, and those inculcating children have been inculcated themselves. This simply creates a loop by which one generation's values and ideals are effectively transferred to the next.

For example, one of our society's declared values is democracy. When a member of our society thinks of democracy, favorable impressions come to mind, such as those of American revolutionaries or brave soldiers fighting the evil forces of somebody, such as Nazis or independence minded North Vietnamese. The idea that all these "good" things symbolize "democracy" has become knowledge th

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1139
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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