FOUCAULDIAN INFLUENCE ON THE LITERARY MOVEMENTS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Abstract

Purpose: This research paper is an attempt to investigate Foucault's concepts of power relations and knowledge and their impact on modern society. The study will explain Foucault's influence on the Historical movement and Cultural materialism. By Focusing on Foucauldian reading of Power and knowledge, Historical movement and Cultural materialism were able to conceive the historical events and their role to generate a mature society.
 Methodology:  Power relations and knowledge are prevalent concepts of Foucault vastly argued today. These two concepts have been examined by many critics from different views, but this paper tries to study power relations and knowledge from Foucault's view. These two concepts are closely related to Historical and Cultural materialism movements and they have a huge impact on them. In this context, data have been collected by using the library and documentary method.
 Findings: Foucault's period exposed a lot of events. Foucault in a certain period his writings and researches were responses to Althusser's ideological ideas. Foucault's researches have a vast impact on other thinkers in which many types of theses researches in contemporary age deal with issues that Foucault involves in his works. He has dealt with social, political and economic issues. This study helps us to find solutions for many issues at present. Foucault has focused on the significance of the past and relate to the present. For him, without the past, we cannot understand the present. Therefore, the new historicists were admired and inspired by him because they have been focused on the importance of the past to create the present.
 Implications: Foucault has criticized the dictatorship governments that tried to separate the past from the present. Individuals were oppressed and subjected to the dominant policies of the tyrant governments but Foucault as critic and theorist through his writings could relate the past to the present and how positively affect the society. He can affect and lead individuals to the safe side by resisting the tyrant apparatuses running by the governments.
 Novelty/Originality of this study: This study has explored the Foucauldian concepts of power and Knowledge and its influence on society. It will enable the reader to have ample knowledge of how Foucault was able to create an active society that can revolt against oppression and domination. This study will help grant the readers a wide variety of knowledge of such society and how they can demand their rights.