Cultural Reader: Foucault's Concept of Discourse Explained

What is discourse according to Foucault?

The concept of discourse is central to Michel Foucault's philosophy and social thought. According to Foucault discourse is defined by any type of activity of communication and representation (verbal or otherwise) that is conditioned and constrained by a set of explicit and implicit rules that enable any activity and at the same time limit it (it can be compared with Thomas Kuhn's notion of paradigm in science). The system of discourse structures the manner in which we perceive reality, it determines what constitutes right or wrong , defines the range of possible utterances in speech and representation, underlies any capacity to understand or argue, allocates the right to speak and in fact governs over everything that can and cannot be said or know. According to Foucault discourse is a historical and social product that like language appears synchronically and evolves diachronically (see article on de Saussure's thoughts on language).

Foucault's discourse theory

Unlike ideology in the Marxist tradition, Foucault's discourse theory does not originate from one defined source of power or social strata, it does not have one specific goal or purpose and there isn't one single function that rules over it. Discourse is not governed by the state (though totalitarian regimes definitely aspired to such control). Like ideology (especially in Althusser's views on ideology), discourse for Foucault have material existence in the shape of elaborate practices that are governed by the discourse while at the same time generate it. For Foucault discourse can be both positive and negative, repressive and liberating. Everyone of us is the subject of discourse and therefore a part in its construction. In any case, for Foucault there is no social (or even human) existence outside of discourse. Discourse shapes identities, thoughts, wants and needs, positions, normality and abnormality and it manifests itself in every part of our daily life.

Examples of discourse

According to Foucault, discourse refers to the ways in which language is used to construct and reinforce meaning, knowledge, and power. Discourse is not limited to language and can be applied to any manner in which humans produce meaning.

Examples of concept of discourse:

The discourse of medicine: The way in which medical knowledge is constructed and disseminated through language, including the terms and concepts used to describe diseases, treatments, and the human body.

The discourse of psychology: The way in which psychological knowledge is constructed and disseminated through language, including the terms and concepts used to describe mental states, emotions, and behaviors.

The discourse of politics: The way in which political ideas and ideologies are constructed and disseminated through language, including the terms and concepts used to describe governance, democracy, and political systems.

The discourse of education: The way in which knowledge is constructed and disseminated through language in educational settings, including the terms and concepts used to teach and learn about various subjects.