Michel Foucault's analytic of power relations: A defence

Michel Foucault suggests that it is more useful and instructive to investigate power via an analytic rather a theory. The governmentality school presents a leading interpretation of Foucault's work without drawing upon the analytic of power, I suggest that a thorough consideration of the analytic of power will reveal an alternative Foucault that is very useful for sociology. Foucault's concept of ‘analytic’ is developed through a contrast with Louis Althusser's concept of ‘Theory’. It thus shown that an analytic is significantly different than a theory. The analytic of power is reconstructed in light of this difference. Finally, it is shown that many critiques of Foucault have their origin through confusing an analytic for a theory.