Lesson plan
Author function
The author function is the author as a function of discourse. The term was developed by Michel Foucault in his 1969 essay "What Is an Author?" where he discusses whether a text requires or is assigned an author. Foucault posits that the legal system was central in the rise of the author, as an author was needed (in order to be punished) for making transgressive statements. This is made evident through the rise of the printing press during the time of the Reformation, when religious texts that circulated challenged the authority of the Catholic Church. The author function does not affect all texts in the same way. For example, the author of a science text book is not as clear or definable as the author of a novel. It is not a spontaneous creation or entity, but a carefully constructed social position.
Article summary
The author function is the author as a function of discourse. The term was developed by Michel Foucault in his 1969 essay "What Is an Author?" where he discusses whether a text requires or is assigned an author. Foucault posits that the legal system was central in the rise of the author, as an author was needed (in order to be punished) for making transgressive statements. This is made evident through the rise of the printing press during the time of the Reformation, when religious texts that circulated challenged the authority of the Catholic Church. The author function does not affect all texts in the same way. For example, the author of a science text book is not as clear or definable as the author of a novel. It is not a spontaneous creation or entity, but a carefully constructed social position.
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.