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From: Philip Goldstein <pgold@xxxxxxxx>
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Date: Fri, 17 Oct 1997 06:42:05 -0400 (EDT)
Daniel Vukovich wrote "I cannot, then, see how Foucault is not
implicitly arguing for the
distinction here being an historical one. Additionally, I do see, of
course, the critique of bourgeois foundationalism in F et al, but I'm just
not generous enough to see his work as staging, a la Althusser, class
struggle at the level of philosophy. Please advise."
Vukovich is right: Foucault does argue that the distinction of philosophy
and science is historical, and Foucault does not stage his work as class
struggle at the level of philosophy. I was arguing that Althusser rejects
the historical character of this distinction once he comes to deny that
Philosophy and science are the same. Althusser also comes to argue that
philosophy is a kind of class struggle in that the kantian quest for a
truth transcending partisan divisions erases the internal conflicts or
struggles of different philosophies. This critique of philosophical
foundations parallels Foucault's critique but Foucault does not go onto
speak of class struggle at the level of theory.
Philip Goldstein