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Single Idea 7424

[filed under theme 13. Knowledge Criteria / E. Relativism / 1. Relativism ]

Full Idea

When I talk about power relations and games of truth, I am absolutely not saying that games of truth are just concealed power relations - that would be a horrible exaggeration.

Gist of Idea

Saying games of truth were merely power relations would be a horrible exaggeration

Source

Michel Foucault (Ethics of the Concern for Self as Freedom [1984], p.296)

Book Ref

Foucault,Michel: 'Essential Works 1954-1984 I: Ethics', ed/tr. Rabinow,Paul [Penguin 1994], p.296


A Reaction

I take this to be a denial of the more absurd forms of relativism. I think there is an interesting convergence between this kind of continental thinking, and the social view of justification found in the later work of Alvin Goldman.


The 8 ideas from 'Ethics of the Concern for Self as Freedom'

The idea of liberation suggests there is a human nature which has been repressed [Foucault]
Ethics is the conscious practice of freedom [Foucault]
When logos controls our desires, we have actually become the logos [Foucault]
A subject is a form which can change, in (say) political or sexual situations [Foucault]
Philosophy and politics are fundamentally linked [Foucault]
Saying games of truth were merely power relations would be a horrible exaggeration [Foucault]
The aim is not to eliminate power relations, but to reduce domination [Foucault]
Critical philosophy is what questions domination at every level [Foucault]