Power and ethics: Finding freedom through critique
Gildersleeve, Matthew Crowden, Andrew
Gildersleeve, Matthew
Crowden, Andrew
Abstract
In this book, the authors review Foucault’s philosophy on power and ethics to investigate the possibility of restructuring freedom available to the subject. Foucault’s Kantian inspired view of critique as an art of voluntary inservitude, of reflective indocility is discussed in relation to biopolitics, bioethics, artificial intelligence, and bureaucracy. This work of freedom is a process of self-creation where the subject seeks to rearrange power relations and open possibilities for autonomy and agency. This book shows how the critical attitude identifies limitations of power to open the possibility for transgression as an escape from normalised submission. This involves revealing and exposing unrecognised forms of power manipulating the subject to uncover and enable new ways to think differently. Psychoanalysis combined with Foucault is also applied to enhance an understanding of power relations and the task of an ethics of freedom. This is then integrated with a philosophy of place to better understand the relationship between home, self-creation, ethics, and freedom. The book shows that Foucault’s philosophy has important relevance to the writings of Heidegger, Lacan, Kafka, Freud, Aristotle, Jung and Arendt and is essential reading for students and professionals in politics, ethics, phenomenology and psychoanalysis.
Keywords
Theology, Philosophy, Foucault, Power, Ethics, Freedom, Self
Date
2024
Type
Book
Journal
Book
Volume
Issue
Page Range
1-258
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Arts and Humanities
Collections
Relation URI
DOI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
All Rights Reserved