Skip to content

Withdraw allegiance from the old categories of the…

“Withdraw allegiance from the old categories of the Negative (law, limit, castration, lack, lacuna), which the Western thought has so long held sacred as a form of power and an access to reality. Prefer what is positive and multiple, difference over uniformity, flows over unities, mobile…” quote by Michel Foucault
Download Open image
“Withdraw allegiance from the old categories of the Negative (law, limit, castration, lack, lacuna), which the Western thought has so long held sacred as a form of power and an access to reality. Prefer what is positive and multiple, difference over uniformity, flows over unities, mobile arrangements over systems. Believe that what is productive is not sedentary but nomadic.”

Michel Foucault

About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Reject static, negative frameworks that dominate Western thought; favor dynamic, pluralistic, and mobile structures that generate productivity through movement.

In simple terms: Abandon rigid limits; embrace fluid, multiple possibilities.

Key Takeaway

Power lies in fluid, positive multiplicity.

Themes

power pluralism fluidity negativity productivity

Mood

provocative inspirational

Type

theoretical political

When to use this quote

  • organizational design
  • educational curricula
  • social movements
  • artistic practice

Key Concepts

post-structuralism nomadic theory

Practical Applications

  • design flexible institutions
  • encourage interdisciplinary collaboration

Questions to Reflect On

  • How can societies balance nomadic creativity with necessary structures?
  • What risks arise from rejecting all negative categories?
A Different Perspective

Constant flux can undermine stability needed for long‑term projects.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet

More by Michel Foucault

Explore all 272 Michel Foucault quotes

More Access quotes

Browse all 2,178 Access quotes