On Foucault’s 1953-1954 Psychological Causality Lectures

Isaac Price-Kelly

Graduate Panel 1

On Foucault’s 1953-1954 Psychological Causality Lectures 

Isaac Price- Kelly (Deakin University)

Abstract: In the early 1950s, Foucault taught a number of classes on psychology as well as working in the field of mental health in more practical ways. Although there has been a recent resurgence in interest in this period of Foucault’s work, little attention has been paid to the lectures he gave on psychology. Here I will give an overview of these lectures and their context, establish the sources from which Foucault drew for these lessons, and outline the major themes and points of interest found in this work. I will draw from Foucault’s reading notes and manuscripts, the notes taken by students at his lectures, and the existing body of scholarly literature. The aim is to provide an introduction and orientation to an aspect of Foucault’s work that appears promising as an area for future study, but has yet to be fruitfully explored.

Bio: Isaac Price-Kelly (any pronouns) is a doctoral student at Deakin University, studying the concept of textuality in Michel Foucault’s 1960s works.

**Times listed are for panel times as order of presentations in each panel may differ from the schedule.