The Pressing Task of Critique.

This conversation centers on the evolving role and challenges of critique in contemporary political, social, and academic contexts. Bernard E. Harcourt discusses the need to shift from the traditional revolutionary question "What is to be done?" to "What more can I do?"—emphasizing individual respon...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Foucault Studies no. 39; pp. 26 - 39
Autores principales: HARCOURT, BERNARD E., HARVEY, ROBERT, RAFFNSØE, SVERRE
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: University of Pennsylvania Press Spring2026
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:This conversation centers on the evolving role and challenges of critique in contemporary political, social, and academic contexts. Bernard E. Harcourt discusses the need to shift from the traditional revolutionary question "What is to be done?" to "What more can I do?"—emphasizing individual responsibility embedded within collective solidarity and reflexivity. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s ambivalent stance toward critique and political engagement, Harcourt highlights the tension between openness and ethical anchoring, the individual ("I") and collective ("we"), and negative and affirmative critique. He argues that critique must be recalibrated to confront current threats such as the rise of far-right movements and the corporatization of universities, proposing cooperative institutional models as sites for renewed critical praxis. Ultimately, critique today may require explicit political positioning to defend democratic conditions, maintaining a dynamic balance between affirmation and negation without succumbing to dogmatism or neutrality.