French · 1926–1984
French philosopher who transformed how we think about power, knowledge, and the self. Born in Poitiers, he studied under Althusser and Hyppolite before producing Madness and Civilization, The Birth of the Clinic, and The Order of Things—histories of how humans became objects of knowledge. Discipline and Punish and The History of Sexuality examined how power operates through institutions and discourse. His influence extends across humanities and social sciences. He died of AIDS-related illness in 1984. The concepts—genealogy, discourse, biopower—structure contemporary thought.