Century Quote by Michel Foucault
“Once leprosy had gone, and the figure of the leper was no more than a distant memory, these structures still remained. The game of exclusion would be played again, often in these same places, in an oddly similar fashion two or three centuries later. The role of the leper was to be played by the poor and by the vagrant, by prisoners and by the 'alienated', and the sort of salvation at stake for both parties in this game of exclusion is the matter of this study.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The History of Sexuality, Volume I, 1976
Societal mechanisms of exclusion persist, shifting targets but retaining similar structures of marginalization.
In simple terms: Exclusion continues, changing who is blamed.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and challenge recurring patterns of social exclusion.
Themes
power
exclusion
social control
marginalization
history
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
analytical
historical
When to use this quote
- urban planning
- public health policy
- prison reform
- immigration debates
- poverty alleviation
Key Concepts
biopolitics
governmentality
social stigma
Questions to Reflect On
- How do modern institutions replicate historic exclusion?
- What groups are currently marginalized in similar ways?
A Different Perspective
Exclusion can be subtle and institutional, making resistance difficult.
![“Strange to relate, these simple folk were perfectly happy without money and without silver watches. Abject poverty was practically unknown; they had no orphanages because there were no nameless babies. [3]” quote by Sol T. Plaatje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9d0/sol-t-plaatje-18648_quote_strange-to-relate-these-simple-folk-were_1827344.jpg)
![“[The Dalai Lama] told me some years ago, "I've made every concession to China, and I've been as open and tolerant as I could, and still things get worse in Tibet." If you look at it from one point of view, as he himself says, his monastic position of forbearance and nonviolence hasn't reaped any…” quote by Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9fe/pico-iyer-1252_benefits_the-dalai-lama-told-me-some-years-ago-i_678.jpg)
