The courage of the truth (the government of self and others II)
Subtitle: lectures at the Collège de France, 1983-1984
By: Michel Foucault ; edited by Frédéric Gros ; English series editor, Arnold I. Davidson ; translated by Graham Burchell
Contributors: Foucault, Michel, 1926-1984
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 364
ISBN-13: 9781403986689
Subjects: POLITICAL SCIENCE / History & Theory; Philosophy; PHILOSOPHY / Political; Truthfulness and falsehood; Study and teaching; Freedom of speech; Political science; PHILOSOPHY / Ethics & Moral Philosophy; Modern Philosophy
Other titles: Government of self and others II; Lectures at the Collège de France.
Work titles: Courage de la vérité : cours au Collège de France, 1983-1984
Description: "The course given by Michel Foucault from February to March 1984, under the title 'The Courage of Truth', was his last at the Collège de France. His death shortly after, on June 25th, tempts us to detect a philosophical testament in these lectures, especially in view of the prominence they give to the theme of death, notably through a reinterpretation of Socrates' last words--'Crito, we owe a cock to Asclepius'--which, with Georges Dumézil, Foucault understands as the expression of a profound gratitude towards philosophy for its cure of the only serious illness: that of false opinions and prejudices. These lectures continue and radicalize the analyses of those of the previous year. Foucault's 1983 lectures investigated the function of 'truth telling' in politics in order to establish courage and conviction as ethical conditions for democracy irreducible to the formal rules of consensus. With the Cynics, this manifestation of the truth no longer appears simply as a risky speaking out, but in the very substance of existence. In fact, Foucault offers an incisive study of ancient Cynicism as practical philsophy, athleticism of the truth, public provocation, and ascetic sovereignty. The scandal of the true life is constructed in oppositon to Platonism and its world of transcendent intelligible forms"--Publisher's description, p. [2] of dust jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.

Translated from the French.