The Japan Lectures A Transnational Critical Encounter

"A fascinating excursion into Foucault's thought in the late 1970s, in which Japan is an 'enigma' that works to clarify his own thoughts. In his presentations to Japanese audiences, the reader overhears Foucault explaining his thinking to himself in an engaging and often personal manner."

Carol Gluck, George Sansom Professor of History, Columbia University.

" 'The end of the era of Western philosophy.' Foucault was often less guarded abroad and would drop gems in conversation with foreign scholars that he might not have shared in France. These brilliant Japan Lectures are a case in point. In a wide-ranging set of talks delivered in Japan in 1978 - ranging over topics from sexuality, to discipline, to power, knowledge, and philosophy- Foucault revealed himself and his ongoing thought processes. Expertly edited by John Rajchman and beautifully translated, these Japan Lectures offer a new window into his work."

Bernard E. Harcourt is a chaired professor at Columbia University and the École des hautes études en sciences sociales in Paris and has edited a range of works by Foucault in French and English, including the Gallimard Pléaide edition of Surveiller et punir.

"A fascinating rediscovery of Foucault in Asia. The Japan Lectures presents an exclusive collection of the French philosopher's lectures, interviews, and conversations during his trips to postwar Japan, available for the first time in English translation. This book transforms our understanding of Foucault and his reflections on the limits of Western thought by posing a fundamental question: Will the philosophy of the future emerge outside Europe?"

Lydia H. Liu, Wun Tsun Tam Professor in the Humanities, Columbia University, author of The Freudian Robot.