It is quite interesting to notice that as Foucault re-imagined his entire intellectual endeavour, he rightly elevated one aspect of his interest to the heart of the entire problematic whether it be his study of knowledge or power or even human behaviour – and that is the problem of subject. Though an idea of a ‘passive subject’ is implicit in his early studies, as they deal with the discursive formations and power, it is only in Foucault’s later writings that ‘subject’ emerges as the major concern. Subject here becomes central to one function that is the function of “telling the truth,’ especially, in a historical formation in which ‘truth’ is something that is granted and is produced in an environment of inter-related discursive and non-discursive systems.
Table of Contents
I
II
III Subject, Interiority and Problematisation
IV Truth, Power and the Technologies of Self
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary research objective is to analyze Michel Foucault’s re-conceptualization of the "subject" through the lens of power, knowledge, and the "art of telling the truth." The work explores how individuals move beyond passive adherence to discursive formations toward an "aesthetic of existence," where the self is actively constituted through a complex interplay of power and resistance.
- The historical development of the subject in Foucault’s philosophy.
- The relationship between "knowing-subject," language, and exteriority.
- Problematization as a method for investigating the present and cultural interiority.
- The role of "technologies of the self" and the folding of the outside in self-constitution.
- The shift from Cartesian interiority to the critical, transformative "ontology of ourselves."
Excerpt from the Book
Subject, Interiority and Problematisation
One of his major works, The Care of the Self, opens with an interpretation of a text written in the second century AD, The Interpretation of the Dreams, from an “ethical experience” of the aphrodisa – a term that is used in the texts of the classical age to explain act, gestures and contacts that produce a certain form of pleasure. This text, which was written at a time when interpreting dreams was one of the “techniques of existence,” that is dreams were considered to be signs of reality or messages of the future, upholds the spirit of helping subjects in the analysis of the sexual acts in their dreams without making a direct moral judgement. Foucault writes it is actually “a man’s book that is addressed mainly to men in order to help them lead their lives as men.” However; it is interesting to notice that the existential claims that this text put forward never have impressed Foucault, as he opens a problematisation of a “form of experience” that is largely concealed by the text’s dominant themes.
It is, therefore, not exactly the same Cartesian question (Who am I? – that Descartes first posed to himself as an existential-anxiety of a thinking-subject) that guides Foucault in his interpretation of The Interpretation of Dreams. What Foucault tries to do with the analysis of this text is to expose one amongst the many forms of experience of power – that is, the ethical experience of sexuality in this case – that in relation to each other permits one to ask to oneself certain kinds of existential questions. The question that guides him in his problematisation of The Interpretation of Dreams is: What were they in their forms of experiences? This is asked specifically to understand: how were their forms of experience of power different for us? Problematisation of The Interpretation of Dreams, and for that matter any problematisation, is directed from or has its starting point in one’s own “present,” and is invoked by the same questions that Kant posed to himself as a thinker, who belongs to a particular period, “what is this world, this period, this precise moment in which we are living?,” ‘what are we, as part of a society?’ Or ‘what is happening to us?’ Or even ‘What am I doing, when I speak of my present?’
Summary of Chapters
I: Introduces Foucault's intellectual shift toward the "problem of the subject" and defines the three genealogical domains of knowledge, power, and ethics.
II: Explores the concepts of language and exteriority, examining how Foucault attempts to move beyond the internal constraints of modern culture and philosophy.
III Subject, Interiority and Problematisation: Analyzes the practice of "problematization" through Foucault’s reading of historical texts, focusing on how individuals confront their own interiority.
IV Truth, Power and the Technologies of Self: Discusses the transformation of the subject from antiquity to the modern era and the role of "technologies of the self" in acceding to truth.
Keywords
Michel Foucault, Subjectivity, Power, Knowledge, Problematization, Aesthetic of Existence, Exteriority, Genealogy, Discourse, Technologies of the Self, Truth, Interiority, Ontology, Resistance, Modernity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this research?
The work examines Michel Foucault’s philosophical investigation into the "subject," specifically how individuals constitute themselves as moral agents amidst systems of power and knowledge.
What are the primary themes discussed in this text?
The text centers on the interplay of power, truth, the "thinking-subject," the role of language in forming identity, and the critical historical practice of problematization.
What is the ultimate goal of the author's analysis?
The goal is to provide a commentary on Foucault’s reading of ontological conditions, illustrating how one can achieve an "aesthetic of existence" that stands apart from dominant, restrictive discourses.
What methodology does the author employ?
The work utilizes a genealogical approach, analyzing Foucault’s interpretations of historical texts (such as ancient dream interpretation) to understand how different eras have shaped the human experience of the self.
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The main body covers the shift from Cartesian thinking to the "knowing-subject," the significance of literature in escaping traditional philosophy, and the ethics of the self.
Which keywords best characterize this academic study?
Key terms include Foucault, Power/Knowledge, Problematization, Aesthetic of Existence, Technologies of the Self, and Exteriority.
How does Foucault differentiate his view of the "subject" from the Cartesian tradition?
Unlike Descartes' universal, unhistorical "I think," Foucault views the subject as a product of historical, discursive, and power-laden practices that change over time.
What does the term "folding of the outside" mean in this context?
It refers to the process by which individuals internalize external forces and cultural structures, subsequently transforming them into a personal "aesthetic of existence" or self-mastery.
Why is "problematization" considered crucial to Foucault's project?
Problematization allows the subject to step back from their current historical "present" to understand how their own interiority was constructed, thereby opening a space for resistance.
- Citation du texte
- Abhilash G Nath (Auteur), 2011, The Interplay of Power, Knowledge and the Self - Subject and the Art of Telling the Truth in Michel Foucault, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/166668
