Paul Rabinow

Foucault's work is a powerful tool for understanding the historical formation of our present.

The modern subject is a subject of both freedom and discipline.

Anthropology is a discipline that constantly questions its own assumptions and methods.

The ethical challenge of the contemporary is to cultivate forms of life that are both individually meaningful and socially just.

The concept of 'care of the self' is central to Foucault's later work on ethics.

The anthropologist must be willing to be surprised, to have their assumptions challenged.

The contemporary is characterized by a proliferation of new forms of life and new ways of being human.

The concept of 'governmentality' refers to the ways in which power is exercised through the management of populations and individuals.

The human sciences are not about finding the truth, but about understanding how truths are made.

The anthropologist's role is to illuminate the complexities and contradictions of human experience.

The modern world is a world of constant change and transformation.

The ethical imperative is to question the taken-for-granted, to challenge the obvious.

Foucault's work is a call to intellectual vigilance, a reminder that we must always be critical of the categories and concepts we use to understand the world.

The concept of 'critical anthropology' is about engaging with the present in a way that opens up possibilities for the future.

The anthropologist must be a careful listener, attentive to the nuances of language and culture.

The contemporary is a time of both great promise and great peril.

The concept of 'reason' is not a timeless essence, but a historical achievement.

The human sciences are not about imposing a single truth, but about exploring the multiplicity of human experience.

The anthropologist's journey is a journey of self-discovery as much as it is a journey of discovery about others.

The modern subject is always in the process of becoming, never fully formed.