Lesson plan

Power-knowledge

In critical theory, power-knowledge is a term introduced by the French philosopher Michel Foucault ( ). According to Foucault's understanding, power is based on knowledge and makes use of knowledge; on the other hand, power reproduces knowledge by shaping it in accordance with its anonymous intentions. Power creates and recreates its own fields of exercise through knowledge. The relationship between power and knowledge has always been a central theme in the social sciences.

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Article summary

In critical theory, power-knowledge is a term introduced by the French philosopher Michel Foucault ( ). According to Foucault's understanding, power is based on knowledge and makes use of knowledge; on the other hand, power reproduces knowledge by shaping it in accordance with its anonymous intentions. Power creates and recreates its own fields of exercise through knowledge. The relationship between power and knowledge has always been a central theme in the social sciences.

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Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  3. 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.