▁activ ists . ▁ ▁L ect ures ▁began ▁at ▁the ▁university ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 6 9 , ▁and ▁straight ▁away ▁its ▁students ▁and ▁staff , ▁including ▁Fou ca ult , ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁occup ations ▁and ▁cl ash es ▁with ▁police , ▁resulting ▁in ▁arr ests . ▁In ▁February , ▁Fou ca ult ▁gave ▁a ▁speech ▁den oun cing ▁police ▁prov ocation ▁to ▁protest ers ▁at ▁the ▁Latin ▁Qu arter ▁of ▁the ▁Mut ual ité . ▁Such ▁actions ▁marked ▁Fou ca ult ' s ▁em brace ▁of ▁the ▁ult ra - left , ▁und ou bt edly ▁influenced ▁by ▁De fert , ▁who ▁had ▁gained ▁a ▁job ▁at ▁V inc ennes ' ▁soci ology ▁department ▁and ▁who ▁had ▁become ▁a ▁Ma o ist . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁courses ▁at ▁Fou ca ult ' s ▁philosophy ▁department ▁were ▁Marx ist - Len in ist ▁orient ed , ▁although ▁Fou ca ult ▁himself ▁gave ▁courses ▁on ▁N iet z sche , ▁" The ▁end ▁of ▁Met aph ys ics ", ▁and ▁" The ▁Disc ourse ▁of ▁Sex ual ity ", ▁which ▁were ▁highly ▁popular ▁and ▁over - sub scri bed . ▁While ▁the ▁right - wing ▁press ▁was ▁heavily ▁critical ▁of ▁this ▁new ▁institution , ▁new ▁Minister ▁of ▁Education ▁Oliv ier ▁Gu ich ard ▁was ▁anger ed ▁by ▁its ▁ide ological ▁bent ▁and ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁ex ams , ▁with ▁students ▁being ▁awarded ▁degrees ▁in ▁a ▁ha ph az ard ▁manner . ▁He ▁refused ▁national ▁acc red itation ▁of ▁the ▁department ' s