The Courage of Truth: Lectures at the Collège de France, 1983-1984

The Government of the Self and Others #2

by Michel Foucault, Arnold I. Davidson (Editor), Graham Burchell (Translator)

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 philosophy, athleticism of the truth, public provocation, and ascetic sovereignty. The scandal of the true life is constructed in opposition to Platonism and its world of transcendent intelligible Forms.

'There is no establishment of the truth without an essential position of otherness. The truth is never the same. There can be truth only in the form of the other world and the other life.'

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Politics, Theory, France, Ebooks, Psychology

380 pages, Hardcover

First published January 22, 2009

About the author

Paul-Michel Foucault was a French philosopher, historian of ideas, writer, political activist, and literary critic. Foucault's theories primarily address the relationships between power and knowledge, and how they are used as a form of social control through societal institutions. Though often cited as a structuralist and postmodernist, Foucault rejected these labels. His thought has influenced academics, especially those working in communication studies, anthropology, psychology, sociology, criminology, cultural studies, literary theory, feminism, Marxism and critical theory.
Born in Poitiers, France, into an upper-middle-class family, Foucault was educated at the Lycée Henri-IV, at the École Normale Supérieure, where he developed an interest in philosophy and came under the influence of his tutors Jean Hyppolite and Louis Althusser, and at the University of Paris (Sorbonne), where he earned degrees in philosophy and psychology. After several years as a cultural diplomat abroad, he returned to France and published his first major book, The History of Madness (1961). After obtaining work between 1960 and 1966 at the University of Clermont-Ferrand, he produced The Birth of the Clinic (1963) and The Order of Things (1966), publications that displayed his increasing involvement with structuralism, from which he later distanced himself. These first three histories exemplified a historiographical technique Foucault was developing called "archaeology".
From 1966 to 1968, Foucault lectured at the University of Tunis before returning to France, where he became head of the philosophy department at the new experimental university of Paris VIII. Foucault subsequently published The Archaeology of Knowledge (1969). In 1970, Foucault was admitted to the Collège de France, a membership he retained until his death. He also became active in several left-wing groups involved in campaigns against racism and human rights abuses and for penal reform. Foucault later published Discipline and Punish (1975) and The History of Sexuality (1976), in which he developed archaeological and genealogical methods that emphasized the role that power plays in society.
Foucault died in Paris from complications of HIV/AIDS; he became the first public figure in France to die from complications of the disease. His partner Daniel Defert founded the AIDES charity in his memory.

Reviews

[Merijn Kanters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find the topics in this book so much more interesting than those in his earlier work. Should be a mandatory read in philosophy. He explains so many important topics which should give rise for new patterns of thinking. Very readable as it is a lecture instead of a philosophical, systemical work.

[Ira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some quotes in my translation:

The bios philosophikos, as right life, is the animality of human being held up as a challenge, practised as an exercise, and thrown in the face of others as a scandal. (p245)

Being sovereign over oneself and being useful to others, enjoying oneself and oneself alone, and at the same time bringing to others the help they need in their predicament, their difficulties or even their misfortunes, that basically constitutes one and the same thing. It is the same foundational act of the self’s taking possession of itself, that on the one hand, will give me the enjoyment of myself and, on the other hand, will permit me to be useful to others when they are in a predicament or misfortune. (p251)

He [the cynic philosopher] does not discuss taxes, revenues, war and peace. What does he then discuss with all these men, Athenians, Corinthians, and Romans? “Happiness and misery, good and bad fortune, servitude and liberty”. Is it possible to exercise a greater authority that that? Is it not that (talking to all men about happiness and misery, good and bad fortune, servitude and liberty) true political activity, the true politeuesthai? (p278)

I live in an other way, and through the very alterity of my life, I show you that what you are looking for is elsewhere than where you are looking, that the road you are taking is an other road than the one you should be taking. (p288)

[Sabine Hélène · Rating 5 out of 5]

Het cynisme heeft ongetwijfeld maar weinig bijgedragen aan de filosofische leer: het heeft nauwelijks méér gedaan dan er de meest traditionele en gangbare formules aan te ontlenen.
Maar het heeft aan het filosofische leven zo’n bijzondere vorm gegeven en het bestaan van een ander leven zo sterk benadrukt, dat het voor eeuwen een stempel gedrukt heeft op het vraagstuk van het filosofisch leven.
Het is van weinig belang in de geschiedenis van de leerstellingen, maar van groot belang in de geschiedenis van de levenskunsten en de geschiedenis van de filosofie als levenswijze.

Zelfkennis, de waarheid over jezelf in deze wereld ontcijferen, jezelf ontcijferen en jezelf steeds weer in vraag stellen... en vooral, de moed hebben heel de waarheid over jezelf tegenover jezelf te erkennen; daar gaat het in essentie over in dit fantastische boek.
En de manier op welke Michel Foucault het in zijn colleges aan het fameuze Collège de France aanbracht, hadden mij van het eerste tot het laatste uur aan zijn lippen hangen...

Dit is een boek dat ik binnen handbereik hou, als leidraad, als bron van moed.

[Michael Meeuwis · Rating 4 out of 5]

An elegant, satisfying argument, less ultimately about free speech than about the type of self-care (or self-government) that a particular sort of free speech leads to. From the title, I was expecting a bit more Mike-of-the-barricades, and got instead an extension of the governmentality writings; this actually, pervert that I am, was maybe more exciting. There's a lot of interesting stuff here that I'm sure is going to be making its way into academic articles, to the extent that it hasn't already.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foucault died a couple months after the completion of this lecture course. His health was obviously failing. I just about broke down in tears while reading the last few pages.

It's fitting that his last two courses were about parrhesia (basically, courageous truth-telling) and the aesthetics of existence. This dude did it right.

"But, well, it is too late. Thank you."

[Pablo]

MECLAP reading. He leído tanto esta edición como la de Akal. Este es el curso (el último) dedicado a la parrhesia entendida como "coraje" del "decir-veraz" y de separar ese decir del hacer, así que va de Sócrates a Diógenes y los cínicos para encontrar su discontinuidad moderna en el ascetismo cristiano. Es brillante (menos que el anterior).

[Chris Nagel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The butler did it.

[Federico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fuori di testaaaa

[Moysés Pinto neto guarani kaiowá · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leitura obrigatória

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this last volume of Michel Foucault's lectures at the College de France the controversial philosopher examines the role of truth telling and its connection to the "arts of living" he examined in his last major works in the History of Sexuality. The lectures illuminate Foucault's own understanding of ethics, which he understood in terms of self-stylization. According to many commentators, this approach ignores the very "stuff" of morality; namely, our relations to others. As the lectures indicate, Foucault understood the relationship of the self to the self as implying relations with others. The course also sheds light on Foucault's understanding of philosophy as a way of life itself in connection to truth-telling and how this relationship evolves from the Greeks to early Christianity. They thereby fill in some gaps in Foucault's main project of developing a genealogy of the modern subject.

[Maughn Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most compelling book (of philosophy) I've read in a long time: a history of the varieties of truth-telling as political, ethical and religious practices from ancient Greece through early Christianity; including major re-evaluations of Socrates, the Cynics and Christian ascetics; with seemingly endless implications for individual spirituality, political struggle and pedagogy. I'm most excited about Foucault's re-description of philosophy as the study and practice of three inter-dependent modes of caring for the self and the world: truth, politics and ethics.

[Raquel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este livro é a prova de que o pensamento de Focault se manteve lúcido até ao fim, interrompido pela sua morte tão precoce. Michel F. é o grande revisor dos séculos. Céptico das instituições, contestador das ideias.

O livro expõe o conteúdo do último curso ministrado por Focault no Collège de France. Um verdadeiro testamento filosófico. Uma indagação sobre a Verdade.

[Dominique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our Father who art in heaven, please let me pass this course. I have tried to understand how Socrates fulfils the role of ethical parrhesiast as best I could. Please let me move on to the next semester.

---

Second reading: Now this is my thesis topic.

[Tvrtko Balić · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I finally did it, I finished all of Foucault's lectures. Unfortunately, I shelved the Croatian translation for the last one so when I look at the series on goodreads it seems incomplete. That's OK though, I will still write the review in English and maybe at some point I will come back to these lectures in the English translation and shelf the other edition.
Foucault's lectures are not always easiest to read. They could often seem unfocused, difficult and dry and I also often found things to disagree with Foucault on. But still, they had good things in them and it's interesting seeing him explore ideas kind of spontaneously before tidying them up to publish them as books. So books 1-10 in the series I rated all with 3 stars. But then with the last 3 books something interesting happened. In the last 3 years of Foucault's lectures which also mark the last 3 years of his life his lectures become much less dry, he seems very involved and although in 1981-82 he sets of to talk about the hermeneutics of the subject he quickly focuses on the care of the self in Greek philosophy which he recognizes as the purpose of Greek philosophy, the purpose of philosophy in its beginning. It's like he was sensing he was nearing the end and asked himself "But wait, what's the whole point of what we're doing here." Of course, some will characterize this as historical interest and say that Foucault talking about Platonist and Stoic ideas doesn't mean he advocated for them. But still, I can't imagine him not admiring these ideas and trying to incorporate them in some way and give meaning to his whole life. And then comes this final year of lectures. Foucault, so often accused of relativism talks about the courage of truth. He doesn't retract his previous characterization of truth as a social construct, instead he uses it to ask what did the Greek philosophers, who had this idea of taking care of the self and leading a good life, who thought of philosophy not just as an academic discipline, but a way of life and a way of governing your life to make it better, what did they think about truth. He focuses his attention on the Greek word parrhesia which sometimes gets translated as true speech, sometimes as free speech, sometimes as just speech. But what is this term, that is so foreign to us that it often gets translated with meanings we might find to be contradictory today? Foucault recognizes it as a characteristic way of speaking of a philosopher and a way of speaking that expresses a certain relation with truth, a relation which is kind of personal and mystical rather than merely saying things that happen to correspond with reality. Roughly the lectures are split between exploring Socrates and Plato and exploring the Cynics. When it comes to Plato and Socrates Foucault mainly talks about Socrates' life and death. How did he live his life? What was he trying to accomplish speaking the way that he did with people? He died for his ideas and the things he said, that's kind of a big deal, so what was so worth dying for, how did he position himself to his death, what message did he mean to send? It's especially heartbreaking reading this knowing that writing about Socrates' death Foucault was nearing his own death. When it comes to the Cynics they are like an extreme or a parody of the idea that philosophy should be a way of life and transformative. What's interesting is that he highlights how the cynics influenced monasticism in early Christianity while Platonist and Stoic discipline and devotion to the logos is more obviously influential. There's more of a gradual transition than a radical break with antiquity and that makes me wonder if Foucault would have talked about religion and the Middle Ages more had he lived longer. That just strengthens the feeling his death was a great loss. And bringing it back to the question of truth and accusations of relativism, by exploring ancient philosophy Foucault points out how the way modernity views truth is something different than what existed traditionally. At least in philosophy, at least in parrhesia, truth is more fluid, it is always in relation with something different something other, whether that be devotion to God, or relation with other people, or relation to one's self becoming different, becoming other, transforming. Truth is always to be found dialogue and dialectics. So many people have forgotten that, not living by truth but despairing over it.
RIP, Foucault. This book really made me think your death was a loss. It is wonderful that you spent your last year thinking about what it means to be a good person. I hope it helped you get to a better place in the end. We owe a rooster to Asclepius.

[Diego Moreno · Rating 5 out of 5]

El Coraje de la verdad es el último curso que impartió el filósofo francés Michel Foucault entre el 1 de febrero y 28 de marzo de 1984. Durante las 9 clases de este curso, Foucault continúa su investigación de las relaciones entre sujeto, verdad y poder. Para ello, analiza los diferentes discursos y prácticas discursivas de la parrhesía (decir veraz) tanto en la filosofía antigua -especialmente en el método socrático, la verdadera vida cínica y las versiones del estoicismo sobre el cinismo- como en el cristianismo de los primeros siglos.

Si bien, el concepto de parrhesía tiene su origen en el ámbito de la política -haciendo referencia a decir la verdad, a riesgo de muerte, tanto en la democracia como en la corte del soberano- se fue desplazando hacia el ámbito de la ética y el cuidado de sí, constituyendo lo que para Foucault se denomina La estilística de la existencia, el arte de la vida bella -del que Sócrates y especialmente el cinismo son sus mayores exponentes- la cual configura otro desarrollo posible del pensamiento filosófico que quedó oculto por el auge de la metafísica del alma y la búsqueda de la verdad a partir del alma misma -contemplándose a sí y alejándose del mundo- y, en el cristianismo, toma la forma de la desconfianza de sí y la obediencia temerosa de Dios y sus representantes en la tierra como condición para acceder a la verdad y el otro mundo.

De este libro me impactó la forma en la que el francés se va dejando llevar por las preguntas de su investigación, sin encasillarse en los procedimientos de una disciplina. En ese sentido, Foucault no es un historiador pues sus análisis no son de continuidad sino de acontecimientos que se dan a partir de dispersiones en diferentes momentos de la historia. No es un lingüista aunque se sirve del análisis estructural para dar cuenta de repeticiones de estructuras y sus reglas de uso en los discursos. No hace un análisis filosófico pues no pretende afirmar, negar o instalar alguna ontología. Así pues, sabiendo que su trabajo no se deja situar en una categoría, Foucault es un estratega y un técnico que va por capas analizando los discursos y mostrando cómo se manifiestan y actualizan en la cultura occidental. En últimas, nos presenta otra forma de investigar que se sale del canon y sus aspiraciones de predecir los resultados y controlar la realidad con su aspiración de “objetividad”. Y es justamente eso lo que me dio un nuevo aire para acercarme a la investigación, a la curiosidad y la tranquilidad de enfrentarme a los obstáculos con diferentes recursos que puedan ser útiles para dicho momento, sin recetas, sin fórmulas. Porque método no se entiende como una serie de pasos que llevan a un resultado concreto, sino como un camino vivo que va abriendo posibilidades y del que solo se puede hablar una vez se ha transitado.

Al final, quedé con una sensación de asombro por lo que venía en el horizonte de sus investigaciones, triste por su fallecimiento solo 3 meses después de impartir este curso y agradecido porque en esta obra logré recuperar cierto coraje que venia echando en falta, además de confianza en investigar los problemas que para mí son importantes y no los que el orden establecido asume como tal porque…¿bajo qué parámetros se establecen hoy las prioridades de investigación de los estamentos del poder?

[Eren Kozan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have wanted to read Michel Foucault for a long time but choosing a book for a starter among his works was very compelling for me. The name of the philosopher always intimidates me because I tend to feel overwhelmed by the academical nature of the works of modern philosophers. I believe I have a tendency towards the thoughts derived from the daily life itself therefore I enjoy reading and learning about Greco-Roman school of thoughts. Before choosing The Courage of Truth, I was trying to select between Foucault’s more famous books like the Madness and Civilization, The Order of Things, Discipline and Punish and The History of Sexuality. While I was scrolling up and down on the Amazon, I saw the title: The Courage of Truth and the name of the book instantly appealed me.
The book is actually not a written work of Foucault but redaction of a semester long, open to public course which Foucault taught at College de France. First of all I am more than jealous because it must be a great experience for the people who was living in Paris at that period to simply walk into a course given by one of the most influential philosophers of all time. However, as a consolation prize, the book gives you a sense of attending his courses and I was certainly not expecting that kind of thing beforehand. I felt like I was sitting on a wooden, uncomfortable classroom chair in a crowded lecture hall watching Foucault explaining the whichever subject we were on while walking to and fro.
In the majority of the book (or we can say semester), Foucault dwells on the antic Greek term “parrhesia” which can be translated as speaking freely about the truth without any fear. He begins the discussion with Socrates and his understanding on parrhesia. He gives examples from Socrates’ dialogues written by Plato which Socrates practices parrhesia on people around him by trying to make them more self-conscious about themselves (one of the core ideas of the Socratic thought: Know Yourself!). We witness how Socrates did not give up from speaking the truth while he was on the verge of death sentence.
After Socrates, he discourses about “cynicism” and the subject of cynic parrhesia. In those parts of the courses we read a lot about Diogenes of Sinope and how he implemented parrhesia on his daily life. I can say that after reading through those passages, I realized that my understanding of cynicism was very weak and mainly based on extremist and scandalous behaviors of the cynic philosophers (like the famous meeting of Alexander the Great and Diogenes in Sinope.).  Although I am still not a big fan of cynic ascetism, now I feel like I have a little bit more insight about the infamous school of thought.
I can easily recommend the book readers who want to enter Foucault’s world. Surely, it is not one of his well-known works, but it is smooth, easy to follow and it feels like you are hearing his words from his mouth. Moreover, if you are into the ancient philosophy it is great to see how Foucault interprets the era while holding parrhesia on the background.

[Andrea Muraro · Rating 4 out of 5]

"La questione dell'etica della verità - concepita come questione della purezza o della purificazione del soggetto - è di solito presente in gran parte della riflessione occidentale. [...] è l'idea secondo cui, per avere accesso alla verità, il soggetto deve instaurare una certa relazione di rottura con il mondo sensibile, con il mondo dell'errore, dell'interesse e del piacere [...]."

Michel Foucault tenne il corso "Il governo di sè e degli altri II" nel 1984 e "Il coraggio della verità" è la sua trascrizione; per questo motivo il lettore apprezzerà sicuramente lo stile colloquiale, la leggerezza del testo, al di là della complessità e dell'incedere del contenuto filosofico.
Il focus del discorso è la "parresìa", il dire il vero. Ci vuole del coraggio per dire il vero, ma anche e soprattutto per impostare la propria vita sulla verità e manifestarla quindi agli altri. Socrate l'ha fatto per primo e ha pagato con la vita; sul suo esempio anche i cinici e poi i monaci hanno inteso la loro vita come atto di coraggio nei confronti della verità. E noi moderni saremmo in grado di farlo?
Un testo molto interessante, sia per il contenuto in sè sia per i numerosi e puntuali riferimenti a testi filosofici, non sempre tra i più noti e diffusi nelle antologie.
La capacità di coinvolgere e di spiegare nei minimi dettagli ogni singolo punto e il continuo procedere del discorso senza divagazioni rendono Foucault un pensatore originale e del tutto contemporaneo.

[Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It must be philosophical blasphemy to say something along these lines, although I’d argue that Foucault proves the contrary in his oeuvre, but this text truly seems like a practical guide to living life — at least to me, and people like myself. Yet, without being commanding; it merely describes much of what I already do, but had not become fully conscious of, let alone made explicit.

I can rest in the trust that I will be able to continue properly guiding myself, by trusting in my Self.

In books such as these consists the kind of reading which is an experience in itself; which is to be incorporated in one’s being, becoming, and — through that — coalesce into one’s acting and expression.

[Joris Rycken · Rating 2 out of 5]

Moeilijk onderwerp, heel interessant, maar is een transcriptie op basis van opnames van colleges waarvan geen cursus bestond, en dan een slechte vertaling met veel Griekse termen tussen...

[Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

يتناول فوكو في هذا الكتاب مثالين على الصراحة او قول الحقيقة وهما سقراط وديوجان الكلبي. يطرح عن طريقهم فلسفته عن شجاعة قول الحقيقة ... وبصراحة الكتاب يستحق قراءة الجزء الاول حتى اقراه، وكان مقدمة ممتازة للفلسفة الكلبية.

[Renato]

Esse final alugou um triplex na minha cabeça

[Eric Komar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspired me to apply parrhesia in my own life.

[Emre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect introduction to understand, analyse, and reinterpret our conceptions of the Cynics. A critique of being cynical of the cynics, if you will.

[Blaze-Pascal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uhm, truth telling, Cynicism, Socrates. Being a cynic is being a warrior in life. Seeing as he dies a few months after these lectures are done, I see it as a way for him to let go, and find integrity in the moment of death. Maybe I am taking it far, but classic Foucault leaves the reader almost hopeless, whereas the final sections reflect on god, and what truth telling means spiritually, even though it is through a critical lens. You also notice in parts him talking about his health... not feeling well, no clear secure future. He may have been really in a lot of pain. He doesn't even finish his final lecture. However, despite this, as a counselor/cynic I found this as a testament to my life. Valuable and insightful into the subjectivity of the philosopher.

[PhiTech · Rating 4 out of 5]

No sé si haya sido correcto empezar por el final, pero ciertamente me ha abierto el camino hacia la indagación del trabajo del autor. Sé de antemano que no me va satisfacer todo el resto de la obra, dado que este libro es su conclusión y no lo logró.
Es quizás notable el desarrollo de su noción de crítica, bastante notable diría yo... y bueno, siempre e han gustado las relecturas de los clásicos como vigentes.
Muy buen libro con lenguaje poco sofisticado pero no por ello poco cuidadoso. Desarrollo claro y prosa envolvente.

[Anaïs · Rating 5 out of 5]

The lectures at the College de France are always captivating. But when Michel Foucault is the one teaching, he takes the experience to a whole new level.
The question of democracy, of the role of people in the government of a nation, is more important that ever in these dark ages. Using ancient greek texts, Foucault makes us think about today's governments, and how all is going wrong, far from what meant democracy in the first place.
I can't do anything else but recommending this book to anyone interested in building a better future.

[Enzo Saito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Um curso transcrito em um livro, conduz uma análise do conceito do “ato de falar a verdade”, denominado como Parresía. Expõe a evolução do significado do termo em diferentes épocas e contextos, mostrando sua importância e suas aplicações na política, ética, religião e assim por diante.

Grande parte do livro é dedicada a uma análise de Sócrates da perspectiva Parresíatica.

O autor discursa sobre os conceitos de “vida outra” e “mundo outro”, realizando uma reavaliação interessante do que foram os cínicos e mostrando suas influências na vida ascética do cristianismo.

[Daniel Seifert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This text of Foucault lectures covers the long tradition of parrhesia with an excellent movement from Socrates to the Cynics. As a committed and emerging member of the Society of Gentle Cynics, I enjoyed and benefited from his interpretation and descriptions. I have begun to write some of this learning in one of my blogs, Notes of a Gentle Cynic [http://gentlecynic.blogspot.com/]. The findings will be shared in parts under the main title of "Gentle Cynicism as True Life."

[Mills College Library]

194 F762c 2011