Foucault and the Frankfurt School. A Discourse on Nietzsche, Power and Knowledge
Foucault and the Frankfurt School. A Discourse on Nietzsche, Power and Knowledge

Summary/Abstract: The essay attempts to explore some of the affinities between Foucault and the Frankfurt School. Part I examines the Nietzschean roots of Adorno and Horkheimer‘s critique of the Enlightenment. While the psychological strands of Nietzsche’s philosophy imply an identification of rational self-determination with domination, his theory of the Übermensch develops a model of emancipation which appeals to the creative, mimetic spontaneity of the aesthetic imagination. The author argues that, by accepting Nietzsche’s identification of reason (knowledge) and power, Adorno and Horkheimer could not rationally justify their own stance without entering into contradiction. Part II shows that the above contradiction led Foucault to retrieve a different aspect of Nietzsche’s thought, the theory of social conflict and power underlying genealogical historiography. Part III concludes with a discussion of Habermas’ criticism of Foucault.

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