Foucault’s Legacy on Contemporary Thinking: Forty Years Later (1984-2024)

Michel Foucault was undoubtedly one of the most important and influential philosophers and intellectuals of the twentieth century. He is the author of seminal works that are now considered veritable classics of contemporary thought, including: Histoire de la folie à l’âge classique (1961), Naissance de la clinique (1963), Les mots et les choses (1966), L’archéologie du savoir (1969), Surveiller et punir (1975), and Histoire de la sexualité (vol. 1, 1976; vol. 2, 1984; vol. 3, 1984). But that is not all. In addition to the texts published during Foucault’s lifetime, many other works of Foucault have become essential over the past forty years. These works have, in fact, made it possible to take a new look at his work; a perspective that, in many respects, is not merely different but also renewed. This perspective leads to a reinterpretation, reworking, and, in some cases, even correction of many analyses of Foucault’s oeuvre developed in the previous years. It is not surprising that in 2024, on the fortieth anniversary of Foucault’s death, an abundance of tributes paid to the thought and work of this author has emerged (consider, for example, the “World Congress: Foucault 40 Years After”). Among these, the tribute of the journal Foucault Studies, one of the main international “places” for analysis and reflection on the French philosopher, could not be missing. The journal indeed aims to celebrate Foucault with a special issue focused not only on his life and work as such but also on his legacy and Wirkungsgeschichte (freely using here the famous concept of “history of effects,” which we borrow from the tradition of philosophical hermeneutics): that is, on the enduring relevance and impact of his thought. This special issue—the title of which, “Foucault’s Legacy in Contemporary Thinking: Forty Years Later (1984-2024),” is precisely aimed at evoking the stakes that have guided its design—includes a wide selection of original contributions.