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The Birth of Biopolitics: Lectures at the Collège de France, 1978--1979 (Lectures at the College de France) Paperback – March 2, 2010

by Michel Foucault (Author)

4.6 111 ratings

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Picador is proud to publish the sixth volume in Foucault's prestigious, groundbreaking series of lectures at the Collège de France from 1970 to 1984

The Birth of Biopolitics continues to pursue the themes of Foucault's lectures from Security, Territory, Population. Having shown how eighteenth-century political economy marks the birth of a new governmental rationality--seeking maximum effectiveness by governing less and in accordance with the naturalness of the phenomena to be governed--Michel Foucault undertakes a detailed analysis of the forms of this liberal governmentality. In a direct and conversational tone, this book raises questions of political philosophy and social policy that are at the heart of current debates about the role and status of neo-liberalism in twentieth century politics.

Print length

368 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Picador
Publication date

March 2, 2010
Dimensions

5.55 x 0.95 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

0312203411
ISBN-13

978-0312203412
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Foucault must be reckoned with by humanists, social scientists, and political activists.” ―The New York Times Book Review

“Foucault has an alert and sensitive mind that can ignore the familiar surfaces of established intellectual codes and ask new questions. . . . He gives dramatic quality to the movement of culture.” ―The New York Review of Books

“Foucault is quite central to our sense of where we are. . . . [His work carries] out, in the noblest way, the promiscuous aim of true culture.” ―The Nation

About the Author

Michel Foucault (1926-1984) was acknowledged as the preeminent philosopher of France in the 1970s and 1980s, and continues to have enormous impact throughout the world in many disciplines.

His books include The Government of Self and Others, The Courage of Truth, The Birth of Biopolitics, and The Punitive Society.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Picador; First Edition (March 2, 2010)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0312203411
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0312203412
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.55 x 0.95 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #353,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #317 in Social Philosophy
- #942 in Political Philosophy (Books)
- #1,383 in History & Theory of Politics

Customer Reviews:
4.6 111 ratings

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Michel Foucault
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One of the leading intellectuals of the twentieth century and the most prominent thinker in post-war France, Foucault's work influenced disciplines as diverse as history, sociology, philosophy, sociology and literary criticism.
Michel Foucault (1926–1984) was a French historian and philosopher associated with the structuralist and poststructuralist movements. He is often considered the most influential social theorist of the second half of the twentieth century, not only in philosophy but in a wide range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. Among his most notable books are Madness and Civilization, Discipline and Punish, and The History of Sexuality.
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4.6 out of 5

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Runamuck

An analysis of U.S. and German Neo-Liberalism

Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2009

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This book is a collection of lectures that Foucault gave. They are focused on the development of Neo-liberalism after World War II, in Germany and the U.S. Foucault traces the development of this theory and how how it differs in Germany and the U.S. respectively. The book being a collection of his lectures, it is at times choppy when reading, because at times the recordings were not able to pick up what was being said. The editor of the book does a wonderful job at acknowledging these parts, but I did not find them detracting from the work. The editor also wrote the lectures in a way that reproduces the lecture so that one can close their eyes and easily imagine themselves there listing to them. The analysis of Neo-Liberalism in this book is the best that I have ever read, and the depth of thought is amazing. It is not an easy read, but one that anyone interested in theory or Foucault should read. It is enjoyable and worth every penny spent.

9 people found this helpful

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Pengsheng Chiu

afterthoughts on the dialectics between "external politics" and "internal politics" in Europe and China

Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2010

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I am a historian doing researches on the economic and legal development in Chinese early modern history. Reading Foucault's The Birth of Biopolitics is a wonderful experience, I learned a lot and cannot help but to think that the dialectics between "external politics" and "internal politics" in Europe from 17thc on may probably constitute an interesting and plausible comparative framework against the deployment of statecraft project in the sixteenth to eighteenth century China.

8 people found this helpful

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Madalina A.

Great read with a wide range of theoretical applicability.

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2016

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Very good book, very actual.

Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2016

was great

Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2014

Verified Purchase

Excellent copy, as described

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2014

Fast, honest.

Horrible Print, Barely Readable & Hazy

Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2022

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A large number of pages are printed like they are out of focus. Extremely difficult to read. Wish I would have realized this and returned it before it was too late.

3 people found this helpful

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robert hollinger

foucault, birth of biopolitics

Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2008

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this is an important book. thanks for sending it so quickly and at an unbeatable price!

One person found this helpful

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Doina C.

Good Quality

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 7, 2021

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I received the book in excellent condition. Very satisfied.

Michael

Arrived on time, thanks

Reviewed in Germany on February 17, 2017

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arrived on time - all good and what i was expecting. . . . . . . . . satisfied, thanks

林　少陽

The Birth of Biopolitics.

Reviewed in Japan on May 1, 2014

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Highly appreciated. Quick response.

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UNDEADSALARYMAN

Foucault and contemporary society

Reviewed in Japan on March 19, 2018

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It is obvious that neoliberalism (American neo-liberalism, Foucault would say if he were still alive.) is supremacy in terms of the structure of the contemporary global political economy.
It is worth noting that he was aware of the ongoing transformation to neo-liberal market as well as that of social and political life at that time. Some scholars contend that the global political economy had a shift to the neo-liberalism from mid-1970s to 1980s.
I think he well classifies two streams of neo-liberalism, Ordliberalism and American neo-liberalism from the historical perspective. Moreover, he critically examines the correlation of the governmentality based upon Raison d`etre and neoliberalist critique towards it. Liberalists have been criticizing the government according to the criterion whether it governed too much or not. Their benchmark was political economy and it entailed piety of naturalism. I suspect, though Foucault doesn’t clearly mentioned, Liberalist assessed the state and its political economy referring to utilitarian ethics.
For my impression, Ordliberalism still has a certain amount of protections from the government for its citizens in the case of volatile situation such as unemployment. However, “American” version seems to be more competitive and ruthless than the former. Foucault pointed out that American neo-liberalists tend to regard objects or domains, which has previously been non-economic, as economic. He takes “the human capital” as an example. For Foucault, in the neo-liberalist logic, people are “homo economics” acting as if they are entrepreneurs. Thus, they have to reduce risk for their and their posterity’s economic life. In turn, some aspects of social life such as health care, education are to be invested by parents. If some neglect this, they are “losers” compared to “winners” who successfully invested in the human capital. In my opinion, this is what we see in everyday life and take it for granted, especially in “developed countries”.
Overall, while this book gave me incisive perspectives, Foucault hardly addressed issues including inequality or environmental destruction. He just explained some mechanisms or premises in liberalist discourse. However, his lecture collection gives us a critical perspective in looking into our society in which Neo-liberalist logic widely pervades.

One person found this helpful

david

fantastic

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 10, 2013

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It is a shame that this author is unknown by the mass,this guy is an eyes-opener.
All about his work is amazing.

2 people found this helpful

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