Comparision between

Michel Foucault theory of

power and Edward said
theory of orientilism

similarities
Foucault says power is negative it dehumanizes
individuals mind .The exercise of power is war.
Edward said also takes power as negative .The power
destroy man socially , psychologically , mentally , and
morally as well.
Abolish the culture
Religion ,language ,and civilization of a nation .
Saddat Hassan manto plays
Struggle and hardships of people

Second similarity
Foucaults conceptualization of how power
fundamentally works in society .
he means that to gain power both colonizer and
colonized are needed and so that power can be
exercised on weaker i.e. colonized people.
Said also explores the power struggle between the
colonizer and colonized , such as the misreading of
orientalist materials and how the orient cannot be
studied without the Orientalized.
The orient means (colonized) cannot be studied without
colonizer i.e. orientalist both are require to study the
power.

Third similarity
Foucault supports the idea that power is built from the
institution , specially knowledge as an agency of power . He
says it is not possible for power to be exercised without
knowledge ,it is impossible for knowledge not to engender
power .
Power is built through knowledge. colonizer will impart his
knowledge to the colonized to show his superiority and
influence upon them. As in East we give more importance to
English book as compare to Pakistani or Eastern book.
According to said power in relation to knowledge. Power
directly influences the truth of ideas , hence building on the
conceptualization that the whole network of power is both
the reason and the effect of the social sciences.
Power is influenced through knowledge . The knowledge of
ideas ,truth and social sciences takes part to exercise power
on colonized people.

Differences
Foucault takes power as positive. He says power is not
simply repressive. It is productive . It is not a thing but a
relation.
Said says power is negative .power captures freedom.
Foucault himself favors the dissolution of identity rather
than its creation or maintence . He sees identity as a
form of subjugation and a way of exercising power over
people and preventing them from moving outside fixed
boundaries.
Said takes identity crisis as negative.

Third difference
For Foucault Freedom is also a condition for the exercise
of power. It is a practice rather than a goal to be
achieved .
For said power is a goal to be achieved by practice. It is
needed to achieve the goal of influencing others ,
identity values and culture