A Study Of Foucaulfs Thought Of Government

The thought of Foucault, in which there are so many treasures to bediscovered, is one of the greatest Modern Philosophy. The thought ofgovernment is one of the most important treasures. Government is a newconcept, which contacts power theory and technologies of the self. Thein-depth study about the thoughts of government not only helps to explain thebreakage in the late thoughts of Foucault, but also is a further study on hispolitical philosophy.The predicament and criticism which are faced by disciplinary powertheory, that provide dynamic for the thought of government. In disciplinarypower, power becomes a pan-power with fully grasping body, and everybodyunder control of power. In this mode of power, the person’s initiative is invacuum; the theory of critical modern society changes into the theory ofdependent subject. Second, this power theory concern local and part, and it isdifficult to extra-institutional analyze the totalizing institutions such as the state.On the other hand, the complex social and political situation in the worldprovide the material of experiences for renewing theory and make Foucaultpay his attention to the objects like as the State.The plight of the power theory itself and historical environment’sstimulating make the thought of government be possible. Foucault describedpedigree of governmentality in his research; he found the source ofgovernment in the east pastorate, which is religious, goodwill, and alwaystowards the person and provided the initial model for the government. It wasintroduced into Western society by Christianity, formed a close relationship with the church organizations, and the pastoral system was formed in theChristian community. Around the16th century, the pastoral systemencountered a large-scale resistance, and resistance did not weaken itsinfluence, on the contrary, the pastoral system entered the economic andpolitical field. This pastoral system had become a practice that follows theprinciples of national rational. Its highest goal is saving the country, allconstitute elements have been incorporated into the operation of the entirepower mechanisms. The governmentality in the modern society is a kind ofpractice, which follows principle of national rational, applied to many elementsof the mechanisms of power and enhance national force. Operation ofgovernment based on two important means of political skills, namely: thediplomatic-military system and police. Diplomatic-military system establish adynamic, stable dynamics between the inter-State relations and enhance thenational force by diplomatic and military; police established a dynamic andstable dynamics between the domestic order and enhance the national forceby putting the population into the center of political attention. Foucault thinksthat country is the operation process, in which two means of political skillestablish the dynamics.Foucault solve a problem that the micro-power can not provide the grandnarrative, and the possibility of criticism the state become actual through theanalysis of power in thought of government; at the same time, we can see analternative grand picture, the state is no longer the sum of the elements ofterritory, population government etc, but operation and practice of power, in thepractice, accordance with national rational the power constantly looking for areasonable form of government to change of national sovereignty become possible. This grand narrative completely subverts the orthodox view ofpolitical philosophy, and provides more possibilities to observation the modernstate system. Secondly, thought of government provide room for freedom.Foucault believes that the government is different from the reign, it does notmake subjects subordinate to the ruler, which always awards free subjects.Freedom has not been clearly presented, but the existence of such a clue: thegovernment is a kind of power’s practice which implied freedom and freedommake the operation of the power of practice become possible.The thought of government is the key to Foucault’s political philosophy,it marks the change of Foucault’s critical towards the modern society:from border districts and local power operation to the political system of modern society and actual power control mechanism. On the other hand, it alsocontacts the power’s pedigree and the self-ethics.