Introduction to Modern Thought

• Pre-reading Notes

  • Although I haven’t studied them properly, I feel like I have some understanding of concepts like Deconstruction and Structuralism as of May 2022.
    • Ideas like Generalizable dichotomy, Explaining things simply, and Tendency to Think about High-level Things seem to be related to them (blu3mo).
      • Knowledge I Somehow Knew Before Knowing?
  • Assuming that’s the case, I want to learn about the concepts/discussions shared in that field.
    • In addition, I feel like following the ideas of Post-Structuralism would help me catch up with contemporary thought.
    • Currently, I don’t have a critical perspective on concepts like Generalizable dichotomy, Explaining things simply, and Tendency to Think about High-level Things, so I would be happy if the ideas of post-structuralism could help me develop that perspective.

• Impressions

  • Several senior students in my seminar recommended this book.
  • I really like the concept of deconstruction, especially Derrida’s framework.
    • It feels like a name has been given to something I vaguely liked about it.
    • Through technology.
  • However, there are also points where I don’t quite agree with the criticisms and ethics presented.

  • What I don’t understand is the confusion between “doubting the assumption that one side of a binary opposition is good” and “doubting the way the binary opposition itself is constructed.”

  • Parole and écriture, I don’t understand.

Modern thought Deconstruction Derrida Deleuze

Foucault

• x_Foucault
• Deconstruction of society
• Through the panoptic mechanism, norms have been internalized from being mechanisms of punishment.
  • Disciplinary training
• As a method of macro-level governance, there is biopolitics vs disciplinary training.
  • Disciplinary training controls the ethics of human behavior by controlling their goals.
  • Biopolitics controls human behavior mechanically by changing the structure.
• Deviance and madness were not labeled before modern times.
  • When labels are applied, binary oppositions arise, and at the same time, an ethics of “one side is good” emerges.
    • This ethics is introduced into society through disciplinary training and biopolitics for governance.
  • Foucault questions whether the world where deviance, like in ancient times, was not considered “bad” is better.