Foucault’s anti-economism leads him to erase class and rebellion

Evidence

Foucault’s eagerness nor to fall into Marxist economtsm causes him ro obliterate the role of classes, the role of economics, the role of insurgency and rebellion in the societies he discusses. The problem is that Foucault’s use of the term pouvoir moves around roo much, swallowing up every obstacle in its path, obliterating change and mystifying its microphysical sovereignty. Foucault’s history is ultimately textual or rather textualized; its mode is one for which Borges would have an affinity they [his archaeologies] make not even a nominal allowance for emergent movements, and none for revolutions, counterhegemony, or historical blocs. — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 830

Categorization

• XREF: Ahmad’s materialist critique of Foucault’s discourse-determinism here overlaps with his critique of Spivak-style strategic essentialism as obscuring class/material structure — same move of de-prioritizing economics. — connects to: Foucault’s notion of power erases class and revolution — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Nations, Classes, Literatures, 373; Foucault’s resistance lacks grounding because he abandons ideology; Foucault’s anti-Marxism blinded him to capital as domination — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos: Neoliberalism’s…, 150 (+4 more)
• DEFINE: Distinguishes Foucault’s analytical move (erasing material/economic categories in anti-economism) from discourse-first moves that obscure but don’t erase.

Broader Connections

• Foucault’s notion of power erases class and revolution #corroborates (0.95) — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 373
• Foucault’s anti-Marxism blinded him to capital as domination #corroborates (0.90) — Wendy Brown, Undoing the Demos, 150
• Foucault’s power theory cannot assess changing balance of forces without ideology #corroborates (0.90) — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 723
• Foucault’s resistance lacks grounding because he abandons ideology #qualifies (0.85)
• Omnipresent power undermines the grounding of resistance in Foucault’s theory #qualifies (0.85) — Alex Callinicos, Against Postmodernism, 339
• Foucault’s concrete studies fall back into vulgar economic reductionism #contradicts (0.80)
• Foucault’s radical skepticism makes social formation and state unthinkable #corroborates (0.75) — Hall, Stuart, Essential Essays, Volume 1, 207