Society Must Be Defended

"Society Must Be Defended" is a collection of lectures by philosopher Michel Foucault that explores how states and institutions justify and manage violence and conflict to protect society. He argues that power is exercised through knowledge and mechanisms that create distinctions between normal and abnormal, lawful and unlawful, often involving the framing of enemies or threats. Foucault emphasizes that understanding these practices helps us see how power shapes social order, identities, and perceptions of security, highlighting that defending society often involves the continuous production of knowledge, authority, and the regulation of boundaries between different social groups.