Search

A central element in Michel Foucault' s thought is the complex relationship between history and politics. On earlier works as The Archeology of knowledge Foucault highlights the "espistemologicall mutation" which allowed a practice of histografy close to scansions and discontinuities. This practice or historical perspective shocked up the the Philosophy of History on which traditional History stands. Thus, usual notions inside this field such as continuity, regularity, totality and subject' s sovereingty are inquired and reformulated along with an important political factor: the idea of "becoming aware" set as a condition of revolution. On his late works Foucault focus on the analysis of self-construction and the breakthrough of subjectification process. The practice of liberty and creation of autonomy opposite the forms of domination -drawn by disciplinary and security societies- led the french thinker to retrieve the "attitude" (éthos) of Enlightenment' s philosophy. This movement implies the introduction of modern components (freedom, autonomy) and, as a consequence, the actualization of a kind of subject conception familiar in somehow to the one was critized in the works of his first and second periods. This paper will try to answer the followings questions: a) In which way the late research of Foucault doesn´t impliy a turn to the sovereignty of subject and, as a result, to Philosophy of History? b) How can be comprehend the breakthrough subjectification process if is not throughout "becoming aware"?; and c) Which status has the knowledge of history in the context of this issue? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]