Power. Knowledge. Governance.

Introduction

In a precarious world even our most basic assumptions are subject to challenge and change. Confronted by economic, environmental and existential crises, humanity is once again undergoing a profound reappraisal of its place and purpose.

Focus of the Book

This book draws on the ideas of Michel Foucault to trace the evolving relationship between power, knowledge, and governance in the modern era, from the Age of Enlightenment to artificial intelligence.

Historical Periods

As it explores the ideas, actors and events that have shaped our world, the volume chronicles the development of four overlapping periods of modern thought: atomistic, mechanistic, organic, and dataistic.

Historical Progression

Moving through the centuries – from early industrial capitalism to neoliberalism and the emergence of data-driven systems of thought and control – it charts the transformation of human assumptions, aspirations and the art of governance.

Future Perspectives

As we enter into an uncertain future, the book identifies the rise of new technologies that conceive and conduct us in radical new ways. Establishing the parameters of a new episteme, these knowledges reveal new realities and raise the possibility of alternative forms of humanity.

Intended Audience

As such, the book will be an invaluable resource for scholars and students of the history of knowledge, social theory and the sociology of modernity.