Michel Foucault’s Understandings of Power and the Political Crises in Egypt in the Yacoubian Building and Cairo My City, Our Revolution: Is Removing the President a Step Towards a More Democratic Country? How to Change a Leader Whilst Changing the Bureaucracy?

By Ali B. Mohammed

What happens when the largest majority of the population blindly follow the interests of the tiny minority and lead a so called revolution against their current regime? What happens to a country, where all its sanctity and sacredness are destroyed by the hands of its own children? If Orwell’s Mr. Jones is removed from the authority, the emerge of the pigs is an inevitable likelihood. This book compares the pre and after revolution state, of countries where uprisings emerged and reaches the vehement conclusion about the pros and cons of these rebellions in the shadow of Michel Foucault’s understandings of power and his ideas of governmentality.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Feb 29, 2020
• ISBN: 9781543757026

Ali B. Mohammed

The author is interested in showing the other sides of power. Power to him is not merely a source of punishment and dominance, it is rather an essential source for arranging the society and a crucial base for disciplining one’s self on one hand and the populations on the other.

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Copyright © 2020 by Ali B. Mohammed.

ISBN:         Softcover             978-1-5437-5701-9

                   eBook                   978-1-5437-5702-6

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CONTENTS

1     Introduction

2     Reading Foucault

3     The Arab Spring

4.1  The crises in Egypt

5     Conclusion

6     Bibliography

1

INTRODUCTION

T he issue of power within the field of politics and governing in general has been very controversial and much disputed subject. Throughout history power has exerted itself in multitudinous different forms, most notably power has always been regarded as the ability to influence the behavior of people; it has always been interlinked to the authority and force, which are the elements of government. Power, nevertheless has been seen as the ability to dominate the people. Therefore, the connotations of power have been violence, abuse and dominance. Moreover, the exercise of power has reconfirmed this fact, particularly in the Middle Eastern societies and the ways the governments practice power in ruling the states. However, to Foucault, power is a significant and an essential source for arranging the society and a crucial base for disciplining one’s self on one hand and the populations on the other. Power, to Foucault, does not always necessarily refer to the hierarchies or the authorities, it is, rather a necessary implement that disciplines the state and the individuals within the state. (Foucault, 1991: 195) Foucault’s views of power have strongly influenced the understandings of power, specifically his college of France lectures on governmentality, where he thoroughly elucidates the system of power and the manner in which it operates.

On the other hand, Michel Foucault has been very influential in shaping the understandings of power and his theory of govermentality is widely believed to be the most accurate enunciation of power. Moreover, it is an indisputable fact that his theories and principles are essentially aimed for the west. However, looking at the contemporary Egypt and the fictional representation of its social and political situations in the Aswany’s novel, The Yacoubian Building and Souif’s memoir, Cairo, my city, our revolution, one can see the practices of governmentality and the application of Foucault’s philosophy of power. It is vital to conduct this research to prove that governemntality does exist in the Middle East in a current time and it is painstakingly portrayed in these two mentioned books. It, nevertheless proves the universality of Foucault’s philosophy that can be applied to the whole universe at any given time.

Furthermore, one of the most significant current discussions with regards to power is about the political situations in the Middle East, particularly in Egypt where there are millions of civilians rebelling on the street and remonstrating with the government’s constitution and decisions. What is more intimidating is the fact that despite all the international attempts and other regional disputes to improve the situations in the country, the conditions are still aggravating. This research aims at examining some of the most essential reasons behind the political crises in the Middle East along with their consequences. Moreover, Foucault’s governmentality and his understandings of power and politics will be elucidated throughout the research. Notwithstanding, the contemporary political situations in Egypt are going to be enunciated throughout the research. To achieve this, the research is divided into four sections; the first part of the research will be dedicated to give a detailed elucidation of Foucault and his theory. The second chapter of the research will shed light on the current political crises in the Middle East briefly and the third section will consider the crises in Egypt and the conditions of its people by looking at the contemporary situations and its fictional representation in the Aswany’s well-known novel, The Yacoubian Building and Suoif’s memoir, Cairo, My City, Our revolution.

2

READING FOUCAULT

F oucault’s main principles and philosophical theories address the nature of power and the manner in which it operates. He is essentially concerned about the