Essays on the Anthropology of Reason Paperback - 1996

From the rear cover

"Essays on the Anthropology of Reason will provide an important sense of the solidity of research in the new and exciting terrains that anthropology has entered. In so doing, it will remove discussion of such new work from the 'celebrity/fashion circuit' of recent trends in cultural studies. Paul Rabinow's collection both illuminates and extends a major research career that has never waned in the power of its intellect, curiosity, and depth of achievement."--George E. Marcus, Rice University

"Paul Rabinow's Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco has been seen as the precursor of the wave of reflexive anthropological texts that have played a central role in recent developments of the discipline. Essays on the Anthropology of Reason could have a similar effect, one that could contribute to a movement away from an excessive preoccupation with textual reflexivity. What one finds in this volume is a sustained reflection on what it means to do fieldwork today in or on (post)modern societies. There is no doubt in my mind that it will generate a healthy debate not only within anthropology but in other fields as well."--Alberto Cambrosio, McGill University

"Paul Rabinow's voice is unique. These essays explore a wide range of topics--the historical grounding of popular conceptions of the integrity of the body, the cultural logic of biological determinism and eugenics, and the applicability of Foucault's notion of biopower--with masterful command of the literature, a nuanced ear for the subtleties of cultural interpretation, and a theoretical acuity that is often thrilling."--Emily Martin, Princeton University