Barthes, Roland

1915-1980. Teacher, writer, moralist, philosopher of culture.
One of the prominent post war intellectuals in France, a group which includes Lacan, Levi Strauss, Foucault and Derrida.
Work concerned with myths, habits, journal writing, tv, photography, the semiotics of everyday actions. Always self referring - writing the theory of his own mind.
Criticism can be effected by change and displacement of meaning; by exposing the convention (one of many possible) at the basis of a system, in order to undermine its effect.

Foucault, Michel

Born 1926.A historian and philosopher. Defined himself as philosopher of thought systems. Wrote about the history of madness, medicine, prisons. Focused on understanding power and power distribution. Opposed using human beings as devices, means to an end.

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