"The History of Truth": Foucault in Buffalo, 1972

ABSTRACT: Based on tape recordings preserved in the archives of SUNY Buffalo, this article discusses a hitherto unpublished lecture course entitled "The History of Truth," which Foucault gave in Buffalo in 1972. It traces Foucault's archaeological investigation of the discursive practices that led to the phenomenon known in Western history as "truth." Accordingly, the article reconstructs the two central "knowledge-power" complexes that Foucault analyzes: the "truth of measure" in relation to the question of justice in the ancient Greek legal system and the "truth of investigation" within the discourse on war and the appeasement of society in medieval law. The Buffalo lectures clarify the substantive connection between these topics and also provide deeper insight into the methodological foundations of Foucault's archaeological approach. In this regard, particular attention is paid to his critical remarks on Althusser's variant of scientific Marxism. The article concludes that the audio recordings of the lecture course "The History of Truth" are an important addition to Foucault's first two already published lecture courses at the Collège de France, as they allow listeners to experience Foucault not only as an impressive scholar, but also as a philosophical practitioner.