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Critically compare Arendt’s and Foucault’s conception of power.

can anyone help I have to write a 3000 word essay on this topic. don't have the slightest clue on what to write, what to include, can't think of how to start a plan. the question is Critically
compare Arendt’s and Foucault’s conception of power.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 1

Tasha1986

Two things I would tell you to read right away are Arendt's "On Violence" - which is very short and very easy to read - and Foucault's essay/lecture called "The Subject and Power". These two will give you the basics of their conceptions of power. You should also look at Amy Allen's article "Power, Subjectivity and Agency: Between Arendt and Foucault" and Neve Gordon's "On Visibility and Power: An Arendtian Corrective of Foucault". At first glance they do appear to have very similar conceptions of power - in that they have the same criticisms of conventional political theory understandings of power and its equation with authority. However, there are subtle differences, which these two articles highlight.