Foreign Language Study & Reference, Philosophy 

English summary: Michel Foucault (1926-1984) - paradoxical philosopher, Professor at the College de France, political militant, and social activist - shocked a world that had barely recovered from the " Death of God " by announcing the imminent death of mankind: " Man " is no more than a subject for discourse (Les Mots et les Choses, 1966) and disciplinary subjugation (Surveiller et punir, 1975). Foucault the archeologist was initially interested not so much in the " surface " as he was in the " depth " of areas of knowledge: places where breaks occur that cause people in various time periods to use homonyms to refer to different objects. He therefore wrote Histoire de la Folie, a history of the medical establishment's viwpoint; Naissance de la clinique; and a history of discipline, Surveiller et punir. In his work, Histoire de la sexualite (1976, 1984), Foucault abandoned the archeological method and attempted to define an " esthetic for existence " by rereading the authors of Antiquity.This essay examines the various perspectives that Foucault presented of his "work " and shows us how his own reading of Kant precluded the possibility that he could remain " Nietzschean ."Pierre Billouet, a professor with his agregation and Doctorate in Philosophy, partially translated and annotated Kant's Critique de la Raison Pratique. He also published Paganisme et postmodernite, by J.-F. Lyotard. French description: Michel Foucault (1926-1984), philosophe paradoxal, professeur au College de France, militant politique et activiste social, a choque un monde mal remis de la "mort de Dieu" en lui annoncant la mort prochaine de l'homme: l'"homme" n'est qu'un effet de discours (Les Mots et les Choses, 1966) et d'assujettissement disciplinaire (Surveiller et punir, 1975).Foucault l'archeologue s'est d'abord interesse non aux "surfaces" mais aux "profondeurs" des domaines de savoir: la ou s'operent les ruptures qui font que, sous des homonymes, les epoques pensent en fait des objets differents. Ainsi a-t-il donne une Histoire de la Folie, une histoire du regard medical, Naissance de la clinique, et une histoire de la discipline, Surveiller et punir. Dans son Histoire de la sexualite (1976, 1984), Foucault a abandonne la methode archeologique et cherche a definir une "esthetique de l'existence" en relisant les Anciens.Cet essai examine les differentes perspectives que Foucault a donnees de son "oeuvre" et montre comment sa propre lecture de Kant lui a interdit de rester "nietzscheen..". - from Amzon