People who are not normal

Author: Foucault
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: In this book, we can very clearly see Foucault's consistent critical spirit, questioning the existing order and knowledge systems. In fact, the "abnormal person" did not disappear with the failure of Nazism; they remain objects of a series of power technologies and knowledge. When a psychiatrist appears in court to provide an evaluation, in their meticulous analysis, the dynamics and various strategies of historical development are gradually restored before our eyes. Foucault argues that "the abnormal person" has three origins, derived from three types of historical figures: "the deformed," "the individual in need of reform," and "the masturbating child." These three types appeared at different times in history. The history of the "deformed" is the oldest, dating back to ancient Rome. We can find some reasons for this within the disease itself. Of course, Foucault could argue that the method he insists on is external analysis, ignoring any internal logic. Nevertheless, such a simple reason, deliberately ignored by Foucault, does not weaken the persuasiveness of his analysis.