Paul-Michel Foucault (UK: / ˈ f uː k oʊ /, US: / f uː ˈ k oʊ /; French: [pɔl miʃɛl fuko]; 15 October 1926 – 25 June 1984) was a French philosopher, historian of ideas, writer, political activist, and literary critic.Foucault's theories primarily address the relationship between power and knowledge, and how they are used as a form of social control through societal institutions.