Foucault in Central and Eastern Europe: Readings and Reception

This second of two panels of the event Foucault's Reception 40 Years After examines the reception of Foucault's work in Central and Eastern Europe. The discussion ranges from an assessment of Foucault's years in Warsaw to the particular readings, debates and uses that his work has provoked in Eastern European countries against the background of their specific political, cultural and intellectual histories: What are the characteristics of this reception? How was it conditioned by the specific historical and political context? How did Foucault's tools contribute to thinking about local social transformations? Which approaches and concepts have received broad attention so far and what future research perspectives have Foucault's writings opened up?

Our guests give short statements on these questions and then discuss with each other, with members of the faculty and with students.

With: Magdalena Nowicka-Franczak (Lodz), Michal Kozlowski (Warsaw), Balazs Berkovits (Budapest)

Presentation: Estela Schindel (IFES)