Genealogy Of The Modem State

The 1970s,the"micro-physics of power" consists in the most important part of Foucault’s intellectual life.Contrary to Marxists who treat the mode of production as the basic of the state and take a prior the unitary function and structure of the state for granted,Foucault introduces genealogy of "the history of presenf" and nominalism into his research,gives privilege to the dispersed diversity of micro-power.Foucault shows us the discipline in Discipline and Punish and then extends it to bio-power in The Will to Truth:the discipline which focus on bodies and the bio-politic that deals with population are just the two sides of bio-power.But there are some theoretical problems:(1)how to explain the dispersed and heterogeneous micro-powers are constituted as a general order with some degree of consistence,how to describe the role of the state in the constitutive of power relations.Foucault develops the concept of "strategy" in The Will to Truth.But because of Foucault confines himself to the framework of bio-power in general,and attempts to attack fascist German obviously and Soviet Union potentially,when he tries to explore the difference between the two in turn finally accents they are almost the same.It results in repressing and limiting the multiple formations of state that the "strategy"concept presumes;(2)And using "Nietzsche’s hypothesis"finally inverses the productive and positive of power so that leads to an extremist denunciation of power,moreover one could no longer analyze how belief in legitimacy,acceptance and consensus were actively generated and stabilized.Foucault has to problematic of his own concept of power,instead "Nietzsche’s hypothesis"now it seems much better speak of "government".By combing use concept of "strategy"with government,governmentality around the interaction of power and knowledge,state formations and rationalities tightly,Foucault can explore the historical constitution and periodization of the state more directly. Although the "strategy"concept has already determine that Foucault will necessarily have an affinity with Max Weber on the formation of capitalism,it is true that the governmentality as a style of analysis can be helpful for studying and critiquing neo-liberalism.Finally,we come to a conclusion,especially response to Foucault for his claim that socialism without their own governmentality.we also will show the significance of Foucault’s governmentality to think we own contemporary issues.