Pouvoir/Savoir - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
Pouvoir/Savoir, Power/Knowledge, a concept intimately entwined with the later works of French philosopher Michel Foucault, suggests a radical departure from traditional understandings of both power and knowledge. It posits that these two seemingly distinct entities are inseparable; knowledge is always an exercise of power, and power is always, in turn, a function of knowledge. Dismissed by some as relativistic or even a justification for oppression, the core of Pouvoir/Savoir lies in exploring how these intertwined mechanisms shape discourse, institutions, and even individual subjectivities.
While the explicit formulation of Pouvoir/Savoir emerges in Foucault’s writings of the 1970s, hints of this conceptualization are detectable much earlier. Arguably, strands of the concept are reflected in the skeptical inquiries of Nietzsche, whose genealogies revealed the will to power lurking within purportedly objective truth claims. However, Foucault solidified the framework, particularly in Discipline and Punish (1975) and The History of Sexuality, Vol. 1 (1976). These texts challenge the conventional view of power as a top-down, repressive force wielded by a central authority. Instead, Foucault envisions power as decentralized, productive, and pervasive, operating through the very discourses and institutions which claim to liberate or enlighten.
Over time, Pouvoir/Savoir has become a central tenet of post-structuralist thought, influencing disciplines ranging from literary theory and sociology to criminology and gender studies. Scholars have applied the concept to analyze a vast array of phenomena, from the medicalization of madness to the construction of gender roles. It's a concept that continues to provoke debate: Is it merely descriptive, or does it offer a path to resistance? Can we truly escape the webs of power/knowledge that define our reality, or are we forever trapped within them? The lingering mystique surrounding Pouvoir/Savoir arises, in part, from this very question.
Today, Pouvoir/Savoir remains a highly relevant concept, informing analyses of everything from social media algorithms and surveillance technologies to the politics of identity and representation. Its enduring legacy rests on its ability to expose the subtle and often invisible mechanisms through which power operates in modern societies. If knowledge production is inextricably linked to forms of control, what responsibility do we bear in challenging the accepted truths that shape our world?