When and where was Michel Foucault born?
Paul-Michel Foucault was born on the 15th of October 1926 in the city of Poitiers, west-central France. He entered a prosperous, socially conservative family as the second of three children.
Questions about Michel Foucault
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What happened to Michel Foucault's doctoral work at Uppsala University?
Sten Lindroth refused to allow Michel Foucault to be awarded a doctorate at Uppsala because he asserted that it was full of speculative generalisations. This rejection occurred after Michel Foucault spent five years abroad working as a cultural diplomat there starting with Sweden.
How did Michel Foucault publish his primary thesis Folie et déraison?
Folie et déraison was published in French in May 1961 by Plon after Michel Foucault chose them over Presses Universitaires de France following rejections from Gallimard. The expansive work consisted of 943 pages of text followed by appendices and a bibliography before being translated into English as Madness and Civilization: A History of Insanity in the Age of Reason.
Why did Michel Foucault co-found the Groupe d'Information sur les Prisons?
In February 1971 Michel Foucault co-founded the Groupe d'Information sur les Prisons along with historian Pierre Vidal-Naquet and journalist Jean-Marie Domenach to investigate and expose poor conditions in prisons. The group aimed to give prisoners and ex-prisoners a voice in French society while becoming highly critical of the penal system.
What political activities did Michel Foucault engage in during 1978?
In 1978 Michel Foucault traveled to Tehran days after the Black Friday massacre documenting the developing Iranian Revolution. He met with opposition leaders such as Mohammad Kazem Shariatmadari and Mehdi Bazargan discovering popular support for Islamism.
How did Michel Foucault die on the 25th of June 1984?
Michel Foucault entered Paris Hôpital de la Salpêtrière on the 10th of June 1984 with neurological symptoms complicated by sepsis before dying in the hospital on the 25th of June. He had contracted HIV and developed AIDS which was correctly diagnosed only when he was hospitalized.