Michel Foucault

Michel Foucault (1926–1984) was a French philosopher, sociologist, and historian of ideas. He studied philosophy and psychology in Paris and taught, among other places, in Lille, Clermont-Ferrand, and at the University of Vincennes. In 1970, he became professor of the history of systems of thought at the Collège de France in Paris. Foucault is regarded as a major figure in discourse analysis. His best-known works include *Madness and Civilization* (1961), *The Order of Things* (1966), and *Discipline and Punish* (1975), which examined topics including society’s treatment of madness, knowledge, and penal practices. He died in 1984 in Paris from complications related to HIV infection.