▁and ▁critical ▁theory . ▁ ▁Born ▁in ▁Po it iers , ▁France , ▁into ▁an ▁upper - middle - class ▁family , ▁Fou ca ult ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁the ▁Ly c ée ▁Henri - IV , ▁at ▁the ▁É cole ▁Norm ale ▁Sup érieure , ▁where ▁he ▁developed ▁an ▁interest ▁in ▁philosophy ▁and ▁came ▁under ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁his ▁tut ors ▁Jean ▁Hy pp ol ite ▁and ▁Louis ▁Al th us ser , ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Paris ▁( S or bon ne ), ▁where ▁he ▁earned ▁degrees ▁in ▁philosophy ▁and ▁psych ology . ▁After ▁several ▁years ▁as ▁a ▁cultural ▁diplom at ▁abroad , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁France ▁and ▁published ▁his ▁first ▁major ▁book , ▁The ▁History ▁of ▁Mad ness ▁( 1 9 6 1 ). ▁After ▁obtain ing ▁work ▁between ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Cl erm ont - F err and , ▁he ▁produced ▁The ▁B irth ▁of ▁the ▁C lin ic ▁( 1 9 6 3 ) ▁and ▁The ▁Order ▁of ▁Things ▁( 1 9 6 6 ), ▁publications ▁which ▁displayed ▁his ▁increasing ▁invol vement ▁with ▁struct ural ism , ▁from ▁which ▁he ▁later ▁dist anced ▁himself . ▁These ▁first ▁three ▁histor ies ▁exempl ified ▁a ▁histor i ographical ▁technique ▁Fou ca ult ▁was ▁developing ▁called ▁" arch ae ology ." ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁Fou ca ult ▁lect ured ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Tun is ▁before ▁returning ▁to