The Politics of Critique - On The Socio-Politically Engaged Dimensions of Foucault's Methodology

Abstract

The relationship between scientific work and socio-political engagement is one of the most significant topics in contemporary social sciences. That's why in this article, we will examine the way that French philosopher and historian Michel Foucault conceptualized this relationship. The article will start with an elaboration of the basic theoretical concepts that Foucault used in his work. Then, we will move on to presenting his methodological approaches, focusing particularly on the genealogical method, given that this is the methodological approach that Foucault conceived as linked to political practice. In the next section, we will turn to his conceptualization of the relationship between genealogical investigations and socio-political engagement. The final segment of the article will be dedicated to Foucault's attempts to establish the relationship between his scientific work and political engagement through the conceptualization of a unique ethical framework for these activities. The article will conclude by addressing the media-popularized image of Michel Foucault as a radical, postmodern, nihilist, pointing out the ways in which our work challenges this image.