This paper examines the uses to which Foucault's work has been put in a variety of areas in the social sciences. The argument is made that Foucault's work is often used to legitimate practices which bear little resemblence to the original and are frequently based on a misunderstanding of his method. Foucault's work should not be turned into a slogan and then inserted within an existing political project. Foucault's work invites scepticism rather than dogmatic belief. The argument is illustrated with examples
