A recent tweet by user Rishi
has reignited discussions within academic circles regarding Michel Foucault’s seminal work, "The Birth of Biopolitics." The tweet challenges the prevailing view in humanities that the book is a foremost critique of neoliberalism, asserting instead that it is "surprisingly sympathetic to neoliberalism" and noting Foucault's favorable citations of economists Friedrich Hayek and Gary Becker.
Foucault's "The Birth of Biopolitics" comprises a series of lectures delivered at the Collège de France between 1978 and 1979, later published posthumously. In these lectures, Foucault delves into the concept of "governmentality," specifically analyzing the historical evolution and rationalities behind liberal and neoliberal forms of governance. His examination includes distinct forms such as German ordoliberalism and American neoliberalism, exemplified by the Chicago School of economics.
The academic community remains divided on the precise interpretation of Foucault's engagement with neoliberal thought. While many in the humanities traditionally view the work as a foundational critique, a growing body of scholarship highlights the nuanced, and at times descriptive, nature of his analysis. Scholars like Thomas Lemke argue that Foucault did not present neoliberalism as a dominant ideology but rather as a significant inflection point in the history of liberal political philosophy.
Foucault's detailed exploration of figures like Hayek and Becker, particularly Becker's theories on human capital and crime, is central to this debate. Rather than outright condemnation, Foucault meticulously dissects the internal logic and mechanisms of neoliberal rationality, including how it extends economic principles to various aspects of human life and social policy. This analytical approach, some argue, can be misinterpreted as a form of sympathy due to its lack of overt moralizing.
The tweet's assertion about the "insularity of the humanities" points to a perceived gap between the complex academic discussions surrounding Foucault's work and a more generalized, simplified understanding often prevalent in broader humanities discourse. The ongoing scholarly re-evaluation of "The Birth of Biopolitics" underscores that Foucault's lectures offer a sophisticated, comparative analysis of neoliberalism, inviting a deeper engagement beyond a singular critical interpretation.