preview

Foucault, An Author?

Decent Essays

Foucault, From “What is an Author?” 1. In The Order of Things, Foucault analyzed discursive content in texts. a. Categories that are considered include “analysis of wealth,” “natural history,” and “political economy”. b. However, Foucault admits to neglecting authors’ names including Buffon, Cuvier, Ricardo, etc. 1. When trying to connect concepts and theoretical relationships, Foucault admits to not fully making connections in the past. 2. Using the authors’ names, however, makes the texts seem more connected by the familial relationships formed by authors and genres, which may lead to inaccurate interpretations. 3. As such, Foucault sets aside sociohistorical analysis within this paper and decides to focus on the individual author and his or her relationship to the text. 2. When carefully considering the relationship between the author and the text, it is important to note two major themes. a. The text only refers to itself. 1. External thoughts, context, and other opinions should be removed from the interpretation of the text. 2. The signs can be found within the text and are used to signify meaning. b. There is a strong relationship between writing and death. 1. This relationship has existed since Greek narratives, which were designed to make the hero immortal. i. Storytellers would continue the narrative with more epic stories. ii. Death would come only when all were silent as

Get Access