▁de ▁la ▁fol ie ▁à ▁l ' âge ▁class ique ▁( trans . ▁" Mad ness ▁and ▁Ins an ity : ▁History ▁of ▁Mad ness ▁in ▁the ▁Class ical ▁Age "), ▁a ▁philosoph ical ▁work ▁based ▁upon ▁his ▁studies ▁into ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁medicine . ▁The ▁book ▁discussed ▁how ▁West ▁European ▁society ▁had ▁de alt ▁with ▁mad ness , ▁arg uing ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁social ▁construct ▁distinct ▁from ▁mental ▁ill ness . ▁Fou ca ult ▁traces ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁the ▁concept ▁of ▁mad ness ▁through ▁three ▁phases : ▁the ▁Renaissance , ▁the ▁later ▁ 1 7 th ▁and ▁ 1 8 th ▁centuries , ▁and ▁the ▁modern ▁experience . ▁The ▁work ▁all udes ▁to ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁French ▁poet ▁and ▁play w right ▁Anton in ▁Ar ta ud , ▁who ▁ex ert ed ▁a ▁strong ▁influence ▁over ▁Fou ca ult ' s ▁thought ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁Histoire ▁de ▁la ▁fol ie ▁was ▁an ▁exp ans ive ▁work , ▁consisting ▁of ▁ 9 4 3 ▁pages ▁of ▁text , ▁followed ▁by ▁append ices ▁and ▁a ▁bibli ography . ▁Fou ca ult ▁submitted ▁it ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Paris , ▁although ▁the ▁university ' s ▁reg ulations ▁for ▁award ing ▁a ▁State ▁doctor ate ▁required ▁the ▁submission ▁of ▁both ▁his ▁main ▁th esis ▁and ▁a ▁shorter ▁complement ary ▁th esis . ▁Ob tain ing ▁a ▁doctor ate ▁in ▁France ▁at ▁the ▁period ▁was ▁a ▁multi - step ▁process . ▁The ▁first ▁step ▁was ▁to ▁obtain ▁a ▁rapp orte ur , ▁or ▁"