Chomsky vs. Foucault

Here's a 12 minute clip of a debate between Michel Foucault and Noam Chomsky from 1971.

< link >

I thought it would be relevant to the class just to show Foucault and Chomsky arguing about a possible future just society, and their differences in methodology for bringing it about. Chomsky in a sense represents a Rawlsian approach in the formulation of an ideal theory for a just society based on an idealized notion of human nature as it should be, and presents his own version of a system that encourages the growth and flourishing of a fundamentally creative human nature (anarcho-syndicalism being his ideal candidate). Foucault, on the other hand, pushes for the genealogical approach of critiquing and attacking current seemingly neutral institutions and power-relations to bring methods of oppression, coercion, and "political violence" into view, so that they may be challenged and fought against.

There's also a transcript of the full debate available here.