Exploring Foucault on Care of the Self and Power Relations from an Orthodox perspective

Abstract

Michel Foucault (1926-1984) was indisputably one of the most significant theorists of the twentieth century. His work is generally interdisciplinary in nature delving especially into the humanities, and to a greater extent it includes philosophically oriented historical research in philosophy, history and theology. All this was in a quest for truth and to reflect on humanity which is the focus. Foucault recurrently pursued a manner in which to comprehend the ideas that form our present. In the materialist and consumer driven world of the 21st Century, spiritual practices in Christianity are often viewed by growing numbers of subjects as being based on what are considered to be obsolete religious traditions. The article focuses on the notion that Christianity indeed has a huge role to play in life and in understanding contemporary spirituality and religious life. Foucault was seemingly motivated by a strong yearning to discover a substitute for intimacy with the creator God and a desire to see power relations made devoid of the ability to limit a subjects freedom and domination by, for example, churches and their doctrines and dogmas. He argued that self-awareness was not a goal in itself, but rather something that is pursued in order for one to care for oneself in a world in which there are power relations in existence. Foucault maintained that by caring for oneself, one could transform oneself into a more ethical person. Through considering one’s previous and imminent actions and by evaluating if the actions align with ones ethics and goals, one can get to realise how insignificant one is when compared to the limitlessness creation. A standpoint on spirituality and Christianity per se, is advanced based on Michel Foucault’s work on spiritual observances in Christianity.