Giving an Account of Himself

This chapter discusses the theme of critique, drawing on Judith Butler’s study Giving an Account of Oneself. Butler provides a suggestive phenomenological appreciation of Foucault, which somewhat goes against the grain of a more influential concern with the epistemological contours of his work. Butler’s insights are adapted to appreciate the phenomenological dimensions of Said’s work in relation to that of Foucault. At the same time, considering Butler’s ongoing interest in Fanon and the racial implications of subject formation, their work, unlike other metropolitan critical theorists, can be situated towards a phenomenological discussion of racism.