Michel Foucault

In 2021, Guy Sorman accused Foucault of having had paid sexual encounters with very young boys in Sidi Bou Said in the late 1960s. The accusation, made decades after the philosopher's death, sparked extensive debate about his legacy.

State of the evidence

Alleged

During two visits to Iran, Foucault described with fascination the religious energy of the uprising against the Shah and viewed the revolution as a form of 'political spirituality'. After the Islamic regime was established, this interpretation was criticised as naive about the authoritarian programme of Khomeini's supporters.

State of the evidence

Documented

Faced with summary executions and repression by the new Iranian regime, Foucault spoke out publicly, criticising the use of the death penalty and the new state violence, notably in 'Is It Useless to Revolt?'.

State of the evidence

Documented

In a radio debate with Guy Hocquenghem and Jean Danet, Foucault criticised how criminal law constructed categories of sexual danger and discussed the relevance of age thresholds and the concept of consent in sexual relationships.

State of the evidence

Documented

Foucault was among the intellectuals who signed an appeal for revision of the Criminal Code, calling for relaxation of criminal provisions governing certain sexual relationships between adults and minors and publicly raising the question of the age at which a minor can consent.

State of the evidence

Documented

Foucault co-founded the Prison Information Group with Jean-Marie Domenach and Pierre Vidal-Naquet to gather prisoners' accounts directly and denounce prison conditions, disciplinary practices and the penitentiary system's lack of transparency.

State of the evidence

Documented

After distributing leaflets and lily-of-the-valley flowers outside La Santé prison, Foucault was arrested. He lodged a complaint alleging that the arrest had been unlawful and that he had been insulted and struck at the police station; prosecutors opened a judicial investigation against persons unknown.