In his later works on bio­power and speaking boldly he examines the question whether there are other views on experiencing truth, which resist the panopticon. To do so, Foucault goes back to one of his first inspirations: the work of Nietzsche and Bataille. We discover that for Foucault, the truth is just as well part of the right of secrecy. This opened a complete other world than the one of total transparency – one that brings us close to religion. For this lecture Ten Kate takes us on a journey through Foucault’s work, and shows how the panopticon is a key to his thinking.

Laurens ten Kate (Utrecht, 1958) is a philosopher and religions scientist. His thesis was entitled The Empty Place. Revolts against Instrumental Life in Bataille’s Atheology. He worked as a researcher at the Theological University Kampen, at the Heyendaal Institute for Interdisciplinary Religious Studies at the University of Nijmegen, and as a philosophy editor at Boom Publishers in Amsterdam.

Since 2002 he works at the University of Humanistic Studies in Utrecht (UvH). At present he is working at the chair group of Globalization and Communication Studies: Give Meaning in a Pluralistic World, led by Hans Alma. Ten Kate’s expertise relating to the contemporary French philosophy: In 2005 he published the collection Breekbare vrijheid (Fragile Freedom), with texts by Michel Foucault and a comprehensive introduction to his work. Further publications: Flight of the Gods (2000) and Re­treating Religion (2012).

Reading tips:

• The History of Sexuality. Volume I: An Introduction, Michel Foucault
• Language, Counter-Memory, Practice: Selected Essays and Interviews, Michel Foucault
• De moed tot waarheid, Michel Foucault

^{Promo video by Mind Design}