%0 Journal Article
%T Post-modern moments in the application of empirical principles
%A Michael Quinn
%J Revue d¡¯¨¦tudes Benthamiennes
%D 2011
%I Centre Bentham
%R 10.4000/etudes-benthamiennes.245
%X This paper explores commonalities between the thought of Jeremy Bentham and that of Michel Foucault. ¡ì I. presents the basic opposition between Foucault¡¯s constructivism, with its concern to expose the historicity of scientific discourse, and challenge its objectivity, and Bentham¡¯s assertion that all knowledge (of morality just as much as physics) is potentially objective. It argues that Bentham¡¯s focus on seemingly unproblematic ¡®facts¡¯ sits alongside an acute sensitivity to the processes by which ¡®facts¡¯ are constructed, which issues in a desire, which Foucault would endorse, to provide people with the tools to identify and challenge the effects of power. ¡ì II. discusses Foucault¡¯s development of the concept of governmentality, and the way in which it develops into a premise ¡ªhuman agents typically desire to exercise power over others¡ª which Bentham shared; before examining his responses to the charge of relativistic fatalism, his employment, as ¡®tactics of refusal¡¯, of consequentialist reasoning, and his hints of the legitimate goals of political action, which Bentham in turn might heartily endorse. Cet article explore les points communs entre la pens¨¦e de Jeremy Bentham et celle de Michel Foucault. L¡¯article oppose tout d¡¯abord le constructivisme de Foucault (qui cherche ¨¤ montrer l¡¯historicit¨¦ du discours scientifique et met en cause son objectivit¨¦) ¨¤ l¡¯affirmation de Bentham selon laquelle toute connaissance, qu¡¯elle porte sur la morale ou sur le monde physique, peut ¨ºtre objective. S¡¯il semble s¡¯attacher ¨¤ des faits objectifs, Bentham est pourtant tout ¨¤ fait sensible ¨¤ la fa on dont ces ¡®faits¡¯ sont construits et cherche ¨¤ donner aux individus les outils pour identifier et critiquer les effets de pouvoir. Ensuite, l¡¯article s¡¯attache ¨¤ la   gouvernementalit¨¦   foucaldienne et montre que cette notion selon laquelle les rapports entre les agents sont avant tout des rapports de pouvoir est ¨¦galement pr¨¦sente chez Bentham. Il pr¨¦sente enfin d¡¯autres points de convergence entre les deux auteurs: leur r¨¦ponse aux accusations de fatalisme relativiste, l¡¯appel ¨¤ des raisonnements cons¨¦quentialistes comme   strat¨¦gies de refus  , et la d¨¦finition des buts l¨¦gitimes de l¡¯action politique.
%K Bentham
%K Foucault
%K power
%K governmentality
%K knowledge
%K discourse
%K constructivsim
%K objectivity
%K Bentham
%K Foucault
%K pouvoir
%K gouvernementalit¨¦
%K savoir
%K discours
%K constructivisme
%K objectivit¨¦
%U http://etudes-benthamiennes.revues.org/245