The Hermeneutics of the Subject (Lectures at the College de France Series 1981-82, Vol 3)

Review

"Is the 'self' capable of reaching the truth when only equipped with knowledge? Or can it attain the truth without a 'long labor of ascesis?' Why is the concept of the 'care of the self' neglected by Western thought despite its vital role in constructing the concept of 'know yourself'? These ethical questions and more are elegantly discussed in Foucault's third volume of lectures from the Collège de France. Foucault's contribution to modern thought is so enormous that philosophy cannot be approached without reference to his works; like Nietzsche, he questions the Western belief of one center that holds the absolute truth. Instead, he argues for multiple centers and stresses the importance of marginal events in shaping the social and cultural entity of the West. Here, Foucault examines the notion of the self in Western thought, speaking with poetic insight about the genealogy of this concept in all its associations with power, knowledge, and religion. He thus plants the seeds for his more analytical works, such as The History of Sexuality. Recommended for public and academic libraries with large philosophy collections."—Library Journal



Book Description
The Hermeneutics of the Subject is the third volume in the collection of Michel Foucault's lectures at the Collège de France, one of the world's most prestigious institutions. Faculty at the Collège give public lectures, in which they present works-in-progress on any subject of their choosing. Foucault's wide-ranging lectures influenced his groundbreaking works like The History of Sexuality and Discipline and Punish. In the lectures comprising this volume, Foucault focuses on how the "self" and the "care of the self" were convinced during the period of antiquity, beginning with Socrates. The problems of the ethical formation of the self, Foucault argues, form the background for our own questions about subjectivity and remain at the center of contemporary moral thought. This series of lectures throws new light on Foucault's final works and shows the full depth of his engagement with ancient thought. Lucid and provocative, The Hermeneutics of the Subject reveals Foucault at the height of his powers.



About the Author
Michel Foucault, acknowledged as the preeminent philosopher of France in the ’70s and ’80s, continues to have enormous impact throughout the world in many disciplines.

Series editor Arnold I. Davidson teaches philosophy, divinity, comparative literature, and history of science at the University of Chicago, and is executive director of the journal Critical Inquiry. He is co-editor of the anthology Michel Foucault: Philosophie.

Translator Graham Burchell has written essays on Michel Foucault and was an editor of The Foucault Effect.


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Is the "self" capable of reaching the truth when only equipped with knowledge? Or can it attain the truth without a "long labor of ascesis?" Why is the concept of the "care of the self" neglected by Western thought despite its vital role in constructing the concept of "know yourself"? These ethical questions and more are elegantly discussed in Foucault's third volume of lectures from the College de France. Foucault's contribution to modern thought is so enormous that philosophy cannot be approached without reference to his works; like Nietzche, he questions the Western belief of one center that holds the absolute truth. Instead, he argues for multiple centers and stresses the importance of marginal events in shaping the social and cultural entity of the West. Here, Foucault examines the notion of the self in Western thought, speaking with poetic insight about the genealogy of this concept in all its associations with power, knowledge, and religion. He thus plants the seeds for his more analytical works, such as The History of Sexuality. Recommended for public and academic libraries with large philosophy collections.-Sadiq Alkoriji, Tomball Lib., Harris Cty., TX Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.


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