Which of the following describes Foucault’s views on knowledge?
(a) Knowledge is not metaphysical or transcendental.
(b) Knowledge is not a matter of perspective.
(c) Knowledge is not pure or neutral but is always from a point of view.
(d) Knowledge is unconstrained by regimes of power.

Choose the correct option:

Correct option is C

Explanation:

Michel Foucault, a seminal figure in poststructuralist thought, challenged traditional assumptions about knowledge.

According to Foucault, knowledge is not metaphysical or transcendental, it is not derived from universal truths or ideals, but rather, it is historically contingent, produced through discourses shaped by specific power structures.

Furthermore, knowledge is not pure or neutral; instead, it is always situated and produced from a particular standpoint or point of view.

Foucault emphasized that what we perceive as “truth” is constructed within a framework of power and discourse rather than being inherently objective.

Information Booster:

Michel Foucault (1926–1984) – A French philosopher, historian of ideas, and literary critic, central to the development of critical theory and poststructuralism.

Power/Knowledge Concept – Foucault argued that power and knowledge are intertwined; knowledge is both a product of power and a means of maintaining power structures.

Discourse Theory – He developed the concept of discourse as a system of representation that governs how knowledge is created, legitimized, and disseminated.

Archaeology and Genealogy of Knowledge – In works like The Archaeology of Knowledge and Discipline and Punish, he examined how historical shifts in discourse shape what counts as knowledge.

Knowledge is Contextual – Knowledge is not absolute or objective; it reflects the ideologies and power relations of its time.

Rejection of Enlightenment Epistemology – Foucault critiqued the Enlightenment ideal of reason and objective truth, suggesting that such constructs serve dominant socio-political orders.

Knowledge View – Knowledge is produced within specific historical and institutional contexts, always embedded within relations of power and subject to change.

Additional Knowledge:

Knowledge is not a matter of perspective – Foucault believed that knowledge is always partial, subjective, and from a standpoint, rejecting the idea of a neutral or universal truth.

Knowledge is unconstrained by regimes of power – Foucault explicitly argued the opposite—that knowledge is deeply constrained and shaped by regimes of power. His famous phrase “knowledge is power” illustrates this dependency.