Who was Michel Foucault?

Paul-Michel Foucault, (15 October 1926 – 25 June 1984), better known as Michel Foucault, was a French philosopher, historian of ideas, writer, political activist, and literary critic.

Foucault's theories primarily address the relationship between power and knowledge, and how they are used as a form of social control through societal institutions. Though often cited as a structuralist and postmodernist, Foucault rejected these labels. His thought has influenced academics, especially those working in communication studies, anthropology, psychology, sociology, criminology, cultural studies, literary theory, feminism, Marxism and critical theory.

Foucault was a prolific author with over 60 publications including: `Madness and Civilization' (1961), `The Birth of the Clinic' (1963), `The Order of Things' (1966), `This is Not A Pipe' (1973), `Discipline and Punish' (1975) and `The History of Sexuality' (three volumes).