From: "Hennon, Lisa" <hennon-AT-arcadia.edu> Subject: RE: Foucault's popularity Date: Fri, 2 Nov 2001 08:40:22 -0500 Lionel, you ask great questions. I enjoy how others have responded. Here is what I think. Foucault's popularity and notoriety has much to do with what his intellectual contribution enabled others to do. I first read Foucault by stumbling across one of his books in the library. I had never heard of him, nor did I know how to say his name; the title grabbed my attention--The Order of Things. (At the time, I wanted somebody to please tell me how things are ordered.) Fortunately (or not) for me, his work was beginning to be translated into English, and one of my professors later explained that numerous European authors were not made available to American readers until the 1960s-70s. Foucault remains a "notorious" figure for many American university teachers because their colleagues picked up his work as a way to change the debates in higher education. The conversation has moved away from Foucault's detractors, so they talk about the "loss" or "decline" or "grade inflation" or whatever other term that suggests how dangerous it is to read Foucault and the other "french guys". Lisa -----Original Message----- From: Lionel Boxer [mailto:lboxer-AT-hotmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, October 31, 2001 5:30 PM To: foucault-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu Subject: Foucault's popularity Does anyone agree with this? Does anyone disagree? Not to diminish Foucault's intellectucal contribution. Perhaps his popularity could be explained by his proactive and high profile social activism that contributed to his popularity. He provided theory and practice for resistance, but more important he led by example. He was a total force in that regard; perhaps even a movement. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
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