From: Jani.Erola-AT-tukkk.fi
Subject: RE: Foucault and rational choice
Date: Tue, 18 Jun 2002 15:53:23 +0300
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Richard,
I have been a sort of a 'hangaround' participant on this list, mostly
because I cannot relate to most of the labels Foucault's writings are
usually labelled under. The only reason I have not unsubscribed yet has been
that there sometimes pops up some topics in closer relation to my own
interests, which also lie rather close to rational choice theory, or to put
better, rational action theory. Your post was one of those.
I think the main key to unlock the relation of rational choice and Foucault
could be his relation to Max Weber. If I remember correctly, there should be
some passages somewhere where Foucault claims that his sociological program
is very close to that of Weber. It may be that I remember this right or
wrong, but there certainly are similar topics in the work of both authors
that are concerned here, too: power, social systems, action in social
constraints etc... Foucault propably is much more closer to Weber than to
usual rational choice thinking. However, most of work done in rational
choice theory in social sciences rests on Weber's concept of rational social
action (sometimes this relation is explicit, most of times not) but
concentrates only one side of his concept of rationality.
This is a weakness in rational choice theory that most of the author's in
the field of RCT are not too willing to deal with and propably also leads to
problems you have faced. However, even economist doing work in rational
choice theory have no real excuses to forget Weber - Weber held various
academic chair's in economics and was propably considered better as an
economist than a sociologist in his days.
So, rather than jump straight from Foucault to rational choice, I would
suggest to build a bridge between these two main interests here through the
work of Weber. Or if that does not work, take one step further, through the
relation between Kant, Weber and Foucault.
Jani Erola
-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Levesque [mailto:rlevesqu-AT-ccs.carleton.ca]
Sent: 14. kes=E4kuuta 2002 12:46
To: foucault-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
Subject: Foucault and rational choice
Hello,
My name is Richard Levesque. I am a PhD student. In my thesis
project, I try to integrate and develop Foucault's ideas concerning the
productive aspect of power in a rational choice context.
Thus far, I have not been able to convince anyone who is knowledgeable of
Foucault's work that it is either possible or, for that matter, worthwhile
to transpose Foucault's ideas concerning the productive aspect of power in a
rational choice context. I explain my lack of success in that regard by the
fact that the vast majority of people who know Foucault happen to be rather
critical of rational choice theories and, more particularly, of the
methodology on which they rely to study social phenomena. Thus far, only
economists have displayed an interest in my work and positive comments about
it (which has quite surprised me since, at the outset, I thought that it
would be the other way around).
In a short piece (less than 10 pages long) that is available on my website,
I explain how it is possible to integrate Foucault's ideas concerning the
productive aspect of power within a rational choice context and, more
particularly, I explain how Foucault's views on productive power can be used
to study in a whole new way policy processes from a rational choice
perspective.
I would really appreciate it if some people that have a good knowledge and
understanding of Foucault' work would take the time to take a look at it and
give me some comments. To see and read it, just click on the following
link:
<http://rideau.carleton.ca/~rlevesqu/introduction.htm>
http://rideau.carleton.ca/~rlevesqu/introduction.htm
I would especially appreciate comments concerning the section (pages 5 to 8)
in which I discuss and explain how Foucault conceives power relationships. I
want to make sure that I got Foucault right and also that I do not stretch
his ideas too far to make them fit in a rational choice context.
Thanks...
Richard Levesque
P.S.: the piece posted on my website is totally different from the one I
posted on this list two years ago.
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