I don't necessarily think that the "real" Foucault is accessible to us; even if it were, does it matter? What's more substantive is understanding the ways in which he's been adapted, and I think that most of the critiques of Foucault that can be raised, either from the Marxist or feminist perspective, fall into the traps of homophobia, transphobia, or the other identity-blind problems of these traditional perspectives. I think it's far more effective to critique Foucault by looking at how he's been adapted by American academics, since that's most relevant to (most of us). Within North American communication studies, Foucault is generally used to examine cases in which the term "freedom" isn't as freeing as we'd like to think - a positive use, which the cited article acknowledges - or to utterly discard physical reality as an actual thing - a negative one. I don't buy for a second, though, that the primary problem with Foucault scholarship in North American communication studies is neoliberal sympathies. I can't think of a single piece of rhetorical scholarship, for instance, which could be taken as an endorsement of capitalism or Paul Ryan-esque economics.

Again, this article makes a persuasive case that Foucault may have had neoliberal sympathies, and perhaps these have had a more significant impact within the French/European academies. But there are serious problems with Foucault scholarship in North American rhetorical studies, and also serious benefits, and I think trying to find out who the man himself really was is more or less counterproductive - after all, he's been dead for nearly 30 years.

Just my two cents.

I really want to read this article, but I can't view it on my server. If you would, please send me a copy to my e-mail address. Thank you.

PDF versions of the article and a related one (on Francois Ewald, Foucualt's student), can be found on the authors univertisy website:

http://www.history.appstate.edu/faculty-staff/full-time-faculty/michael-...

I'd like to read it, but our journal service doesnt have it. If you shoot a copy to paulj567@gmail.com I will though.

I suspect I won't agree with it either, though.

I prefer commentaries about Foucault that understand his thought/work.

DS