# Foucault’s Refusal of Fixed Identity Gains Digital Relevance 2026-08-06T22:45:24+00:00 | Technology | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Michel Foucault’s line, “Maybe the target nowadays is not to discover what we are but to refuse what we are,” comes from his 1982 essay The Subject and Power, published in Critical Inquiry. The French philosopher argued that institutions shape identity by classifying people as patients, criminals, consumers or productive workers. His view challenged the idea that freedom comes from finding a fixed inner self. Foucault said people should question the labels imposed by medicine, economics, politics and social institutions. The argument also applies to digital platforms, which use browsing, location and shopping data to build profiles that can influence how users see themselves. ## Coverage - timesofindia.indiatimes.com Tags: Artificial intelligence, digital privacy, identity, Michel Foucault, philosophy Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/foucaults-refusal-of-fixed-identity-gains-digital-relevance/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/foucaults-refusal-of-fixed-identity-gains-digital-relevance/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.