Michel Foucault’s influence on contemporary thought is unmatched by any other twentieth-century intellectual. Reputed to be the most widely cited scholar in history, his work has provided a foundational vocabulary in a variety of disciplines across the humanities and social sciences. He remains one of the most widely taught figures in institutions of higher education worldwide. Even where Foucault’s name is no longer invoked, the shaping influence of his corpus has been transformative—even revolutionary.

2026 marks the centennial of Foucault’s birth and the 50-year anniversary of the publication of his landmark History of Sexuality, Vol. 1. The Foucault Century, a symposium at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia (September 24–25, 2026), offers a renewed assessment of Foucault’s thought.