▁concern ▁themselves ▁with ▁historical ▁( and ▁modern ) ▁forms ▁of ▁power ▁and ▁how ▁these ▁emer ged ▁from ▁previous ▁forms ▁of ▁power . ▁Fou ca ult ▁describes ▁three ▁types ▁of ▁power ▁in ▁his ▁empir ical ▁anal ys es : ▁so ver eign ▁power , ▁discipl inary ▁power , ▁and ▁bi op ower . ▁ ▁Fou ca ult ▁is ▁generally ▁critical ▁to ▁" the ories " ▁that ▁try ▁to ▁give ▁absolute ▁answers ▁to ▁" every thing ." ▁Therefore , ▁he ▁considered ▁his ▁own ▁" theory " ▁of ▁power ▁to ▁be ▁closer ▁to ▁a ▁method ▁than ▁a ▁typical ▁" theory ." ▁According ▁to ▁Fou ca ult , ▁most ▁people ▁misunder stand ▁power . ▁For ▁this ▁reason , ▁he ▁makes ▁clear ▁that ▁power ▁cannot ▁be ▁completely ▁described ▁as : ▁▁ ▁A ▁group ▁of ▁institutions ▁and / or ▁mechan isms ▁whose ▁aim ▁it ▁is ▁for ▁a ▁citiz en ▁to ▁obey ▁and ▁yield ▁to ▁the ▁state ▁( a ▁typical ▁liberal ▁definition ▁of ▁power ); ▁ ▁Y ield ing ▁to ▁rules ▁( a ▁typical ▁ps y cho anal yt ical ▁definition ▁of ▁power ); ▁or ▁ ▁A ▁general ▁and ▁opp ress ing ▁system ▁where ▁one ▁soci etal ▁class ▁or ▁group ▁opp ress es ▁another ▁( a ▁typical ▁femin ist ▁or ▁Orth odox ▁Marx ist ▁definition ▁of ▁power ). ▁ ▁Fou ca ult ▁is ▁not ▁critical ▁of ▁considering ▁these ▁phen omena ▁as ▁" power ", ▁but ▁rather ▁so ▁that ▁these ▁theories ▁of ▁power ▁cannot ▁completely ▁describe ▁all ▁forms ▁of ▁power . ▁Fou ca ult ▁also ▁claims ▁that ▁liberal ▁definition ▁of ▁power