Deleuzian Analysis Of The Concept Of “Statement” In Michel Foucault

Abstract

This article presents the concept of “statement” introduced by Michel Foucault together with the comments of Gilles Deleuze. In his early works, Foucault attempted to reveal “statements”, which are the basic building blocks of “the orders of discourse” that precedes knowledge and science. This concept is important as it paves the way for the emergenceof the concept of “power”, which would be revealed later. The Archeology of Knowledge, which reveals the conceptual content of his early works, appears as a theory of statements. Statements are not actually hidden, they have already been said in discourses. However, as they are propositions, sentences, and speech acts that first appear in discourses and they tend to reveal a general truth immediately, it becomes impossible to see statements.Therefore, it is a difficult task to reveal statements. Foucault’s originality is that he could accomplish this difficult task from his earliest works. Foucault attempted to reveal statements considering them as the discourses, which emerged as the truth in a period, within the frame of their production, arrangement, distribution, circulation and operation. The concept of statement is also important in Deleuze’s own philosophical studies. Because when the content is given (major literature), an appropriate statement is found, whereas when the content is not given (minor literature), it starts with stating and then the content is reconstructed. Therefore, it is very important for both philosophers to examine the statements that precede the content.