What is a "Regime of Truth"?

Abstract

In this paper, I offer an overview of the ways in which Foucault defines and uses the concept of 'regime of truth' in his works between 1975 and 1980, focusing especially on his lectures at the Collège de France On the Government of the Living. There, I argue, a substantial shift takes place, which corresponds to the emergence of the dimension of subjectivity at the heart of the concept of regime of truth itself. This shift bears witness to Foucault's elaboration of a new critical project, namely that of a genealogy of our contemporary regime of truth 'indexed to subjectivity'.

Populism discourse and trouble in democracy: a critical approach

“…The tired economists and their dated dogmas have made a tactical retreat, but this has not provided a forum for heterodox economics. This "more of the same," in the face of evidence of manifest failure, ties in with what Michel Foucault called a "truth regime" (Lorenzini, 2015).…”

“…It also provides a diversion from hidden agenda, such as the influence-peddling going on in the shadows of the Trump presidency or Brexit. We therefore characterize populism as a discourse ("populism discourse," as opposed to "populist discourse") that is connected to a Foucauldian truth regime (Lorenzini, 2015). The memes underpinning populism discourse include the alleged novelty of populism, as well as the idea that populism operates from the margins of liberal democracy (rather than the core).…”

Not only Anti-dam: Simplistic Rendering of Complex Salween Communities in Their Negotiation for Development in Thailand

“…The production of the meaning of, for instance, 'development' or 'nature' is a discursive practice, and such meaning emerges not only because of language or speech, but also because of actual practice to define the truth (Foucault 1977;Yoon 2001). Therefore, instead of taking these meanings for granted, one should analyze 'truth' and 'knowledge' as the practice of 'power' (Foucault 1980;Lorenzini 2015).…”

Guardians of the Possibility that Claims Can Be False

“…Thus, the 50 million-dollar question with regard to telling the truth is that, given Foucault's own assumptions about the circular relation between power and truth -that the former constitutes what we take as true, while the latter reinforces the former, how can a potential "parrhesiast" know whether s/he is authentically telling the truth, or merely parroting the views of the powerful forces to which s/he is subject? Lorenzini (2015) argues that an explanation lies in noting that the notion of "regimes of truth" changed fundamentally for Foucault, beginning with his 1980 lecture at the Collège de France. In that lecture, Lorenzini claims that Foucault adopted the dominent epistemological conception of truth, and rejected the notion that one might speak of "regime of truth" as one does of a political regime.…”