Foucault, Power, and Appearance.

Throughout his many books, Foucault explores his novel idea of "power", where all action becomes an expression of power, a hidden and insidious idea. Power becomes inherent in all aspects of the system, like currents fighting and colliding, where we are nothing more than little bits of cork tossed to and fro.

In his view, it becomes impossible to every truly escape the clutches of the currents of power. Every action becomes the transfer of power, and every idea becomes related to this. People are nothing more than extensions of this power, mere expressions.

Even submission is a confirmation of power. A justification. All action is done as expression, or transfer, of power, and is caused by power as well.

When we combine this with a thought that is constantly occurring to me, the hollowness of individuals, or to put it more accurately, that people are nothing more then outward projections, imago. We become symbolic interactions, carefully shaping and creating our outer self, and through that shaping and projection we become that image, both in the eyes of others and in the inner eye of self-reflection. We are "simulation", in the words of Jean Baudrillard, meaning that we are an image of ourselves, and being that we are image reflecting itself, there is nothing beneath.

Now for the combination, when we compare my Hollow Man theory with Foucault's expression of powers, we can see that people become nothing more than expression, with no content. We are pure illusion, nothing more than avatars of greater, mindless, process. Our imago becomes a process of power, since it is fully developed outwardly, and thus expresses backing powers alone, and outward expression (to the other) is a token exchange, where we tansfer power to the other. There becomes nothing of the self. Identity exists to confirm power.

I'm not sure if I agree with this yet, but it is an interesting look at things. It needs MUCH more work. If anyone wants to jump in and help develop this idea, be my guest. Or if any one wants to refute it, your more than welcome in that expression of power.

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