In The History of Madness (1961) and Discipline and Punish (1975), Michel Foucault describes “spectacles” of madness and punishment in the Renaissance and Classical eras. The emphasis on these spectacles in these books indicates the special role of “spectacle” in Foucault’s historical method. However, in The Birth of the Clinic (1963), which was written between these two works, no mention is made of any spectacle. While in the premodern period, “Public Anatomy Theater” was held with the support of universities, municipalities, the government and church, in which cadavers were dissected. In this article, I try to first show the role of “spectacle” in The History of Madness and Discipline and Punish. Then, by describing the theater of general anatomy in the Renaissance and Classical eras, I show that Foucault could use of the theater of general anatomy in your book for explaining the transition from humoral medicine to modern medicine.
Moghaddam Heidari, G. (2025). The role of "spectacle" in Foucault's methodology: Madness , torture, anatomy. Methodology of Social Sciences and Humanities, (), -. doi: 10.30471/mssh.2025.11186.2664
MLA
gholamhossein Moghaddam Heidari. "The role of "spectacle" in Foucault's methodology: Madness , torture, anatomy". Methodology of Social Sciences and Humanities, , , 2025, -. doi: 10.30471/mssh.2025.11186.2664
HARVARD
Moghaddam Heidari, G. (2025). 'The role of "spectacle" in Foucault's methodology: Madness , torture, anatomy', Methodology of Social Sciences and Humanities, (), pp. -. doi: 10.30471/mssh.2025.11186.2664
VANCOUVER
Moghaddam Heidari, G. The role of "spectacle" in Foucault's methodology: Madness , torture, anatomy. Methodology of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2025; (): -. doi: 10.30471/mssh.2025.11186.2664
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