The Foucauldian Art of the Self and the Pedagogic Problem

Abstract

In the paper, I analyze relations between power, freedom, and formation of the self in reference to Foucault’s works since this triangle is central not only to philosophy of education, but also goes to the heart of the problem with Foucault’s late intellectual enterprise. Furthermore, I argue that Foucault’s last will can be found, not in the ancient care of the self, but in his limit-attitude aimed at losing one’s identity which might be also understood as an exercise of being nobody and de-subjectivation. Yet, this task appears to be a serious problem for educational practice which does not exist without subjects and is based on the model of Althusser’s interpellation wherein a teacher takes the role of a policeman.

Keywords

• foucault
• aesthetics of existence
• the subject
• education