Philosophy of Care

by Boris Groys

Retracing the philosophical discussions around care

Our current culture is dominated by the ideology of creativity. One is supposed to create the new and not to care about the things as they are. This ideology legitimises the domination of the "creative class" over the rest of the population that is predominantly occupied by forms of care - medical care, child care, agriculture, industrial maintenance and so on. We have a responsibility to care for our own bodies, but here again our culture tends to thematize the bodies of desire and to ignore the bodies of care - ill bodies in need of self-care and social care.

But the discussion of care has a long philosophical tradition. The book retraces some episodes of this tradition - beginning with Plato and ending with Alexander Bogdanov through Hegel, Heidegger, Bataille and many others. The central question discussed is: who should be the subject of care? Should I care for myself or trust the others, the system, the institutions? Here, the concept of the self-care becomes a revolutionary principle that confronts the individual with the dominating mechanisms of control.

Genres: Philosophy, Art, Nonfiction

106 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2022

About the author

Boris Efimovich Groys (born 19 March 1947) is an art critic, media theorist, and philosopher. He is currently a Global Distinguished Professor of Russian and Slavic Studies at New York University and Senior Research Fellow at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design in Karlsruhe, Germany. He has been a professor of Aesthetics, Art History, and Media Theory at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design/Center for Art and Media in Karlsruhe and an internationally acclaimed Professor at a number of universities in the United States and Europe, including the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Southern California and the Courtauld Institute of Art London.

Reviews

[Dipali]

The fact that this book doesn’t engage with the bulk of the literature on feminism, care and care work is very disappointing.

[Don · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read as an ebook, which is often not the best way to read books which set out dense discussions on abstract and obtuse themes. This is basically a consideration of care from a Foucauldian standpoint, locating it within a biopolitics which makes control of the body the central function of society. Groys sees us possessing in effect two bodies - our actual physical body and a symbolic body. The latter exists 'out there' and is configured by all the social structures, from the family, the educations system, the economy, healthcare, and art and culture in which we move.

The argument moves from the Socratic moment which calls on us to cease to see life as shadows cast on the back of a cave, and see it rather in the blinding light which brings the shadows into existence. Nietzsche and his various interpreters from Kojeve onwards figure on the story, tracing a journey towards the truth which goes through endless negations until we are left with the task of negating life itself, at the point of death.

Understand the nuance of all of this was largely beyond me. A sense of what if was all about and where it was leading flickered in some passages and made me think there was work to be done through a further reading and trying to follow up its numerous references. Seriously doubt that the time I have left will be adequate to this task!

[David Barrera Fuentes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difiero con las opiniones quen dicen que este libro es complicado; es más hubiese deseado que fuera más largo. Se plantea de manera clara la suerte de dialéctica entre el cuidado "institucional" y el cuidado-de-sí en el pensamiento de distintos autores clásicos de la filosofía europea. En ese sentido, hubiese sido genial que el libro profundizase aún más en el pensamiento de los autores en los que se nota Groys más se maneja, como Hegel, Heidegger, Foucault y los cosmistas rusos.

[Issy Stephens · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was extremely dull. There were glimpses of interest, however the majority of it felt like a man postulating about abstract perceptions of care and self-care, skirting around the subject(s) without letting the reader in. I struggled to finish it.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated four stars for the discussion of Bogdanov in the last chapter, which is relevant to my work. An enjoyable read, but you have to be ready for philosophy and to bear in mind that given it is only quite a short book it is not going to discuss absolutely everything.

If you're familiar with Groys' work it probably helps also

[Lukáš Hamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je to ok, určite znesitelnejšie ako onanista Delleuze ktorého som čítal pred pár mesiacmi. Groys nás sprevádza históriou starostlivosti vo filozofii, takej ako ju chápe on. Snaží sa byť zrozumiteľný a stručný, ale na mňa je to stále trošku moc. Čítalo sa to veľmi pomaly a takmer nič mi to nedalo. Od filozofie potrebujem pauzu na neurčito.

[Molsa Roja(s) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un assaig excel•lent sobre la cura, un anàlisi històric del concepte amb moltíssims referents però que té com a principals actors a Nietzsche i Foucault. Interesantíssim, molt ben escrit i perfectament comprensible.

[Pipapis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boris Groys escribe aquí una especie de genealogía del cuidado, repasando las obras de autores desde Platón hasta Bogdanov. Las ideas que plantea son interesantes y hace una buena crítica al capitalismo y a la industria médica. Aun así, no consigue salir de lo teórico y cerebral. Faltan ejemplos del mundo real y una verdadera explicación de qué sería un cuidado revolucionario.

El libro es perspicaz en ocasiones, pero peca de complicar las cosas demasiado, como suele ocurrir con este tipo de filosofía. Mi opinión es que se puede ser un buen geneálogo y un buen filósofo sin necesidad de utilizar explicaciones tan vagas y conceptos tan etéreos.

[Miguel Teles · Rating 2 out of 5]

My main feeling, as a care professional from the medical field, is that Groys’ dangerously misuses the concept of “care” as biopolitical control. Not even his concept of “self-care” (in oposition to “institutional care”, that would be medical care or others) seems to encompass the holistic and relational nature that care holds within.

There was some interesting thoughts and concepts. And he does point towards problematics of corrupted care among medical industry or political systems. But I wouldn’t just call them “care”. And starting by not calling them care would be saving and caring for this concept for what it actually is.

Besides that, many other ☆☆ reviews already point towards the lack of feminist views and the lack of the notion of the assimetry of his so called “care” in biopolitical systems. His warnings are mostly directed towards the privileged that are “given life” and not to those who are “left to die” by the biopolitical systems of control (and not care).

[Orlis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ho acquistato questo saggio filosofico al #SalTo 2025, visitando lo stand dell'editore Timeo, per la sua splendida copertina, l'originale design e per il titolo asciutto e programmatico.
Sebbene quest'ultimo aspetto e la sinossi del testo scritto nel risvolto del libro potevano suggerire il target e il tono di un testo per iniziati, mi aspettavo una lettura più agevole per la brevità dell'oggetto e del numero di pagine.

Filosofia della cura è una lettura complessa e tutt'altro accessibile per neofiti o curiosi di approfondire il tema, ma attraverso una panoramica di alcune scuole di pensiero ed esponenti riesce a tratteggiare in modo complesso una prospettiva capovolta e, perciò, stimolante.

Il concetto di cura viene preso e utilizzato come una riflessione sui meccanismi di controllo dominante da parte del sistema politico, economico e finanziario. La cura, per l'autore, è improduttiva ma, in un'affascinante contraddizione, è la base della società odierna. Utilizzando i concetti di corpo simbolico e corpo fisico - ovvero tutto ciò che produciamo come rappresentazioni è quello che che conosciamo della nostra corporeità -, Groys ribalta la prospettiva dell'approccio medico, sanitario e psicologico sostenendo come «la società ci vuole sani, ma ci tratta come malati».

«Il lavoro di cura e di cura di sé è improduttivo - resta sempre incompiuto [...]. Tuttavia è la forma di lavoro più basilare e necessaria. Ogni altra cosa ne dipende».

Attraversando le riflessioni Platone, Nietzsche, Hegel, Heiddeger sulla cura, Groys offre una nuova chiave di lettura della modalità e del cosa significhi "prendersi cura". Ovvero come quel tentativo di rendere possibile il soggetto di esprimersi e non di collocarlo soltanto in termini funzionali («la società vuole tu sia performante»), o disfunzionali e, quindi da scartare o relegare alla burocrazia medico-sanitaria. E invitando così a riflettere su come gestiamo la nostra singolarità nella società collettiva.

Purtroppo questi bagliori di illuminazioni si perdono in preposizioni logiche frammentarie e, a mio avviso, difficili da seguire. Proprio come le venature d'oro degli oggetti riparati nell'arte giapponese del kintsugi, richiamata nell'accattivante copertina. La lettura del libro mi ha ricordato le serate universitarie trentine, tra discorsi inconcludenti ma appassionanti e caffè e cannette ad accompagnare le notti stellate.

A mio parere, era chiaro come non si poteva esaurire un argomento vastissimo in poche righe; ma forse dire le stesse cose con un approccio meno tecnico e più comprensibile? Probabilmente avrebbe perso la sua connotazione e stile. Ho fatto un tentativo di avvicinarmi ad un tipo di letteratura molto lontana e su argomenti, ammetto, sui quali ammetto di aver avuto pochi strumenti per comprenderli veramente. Ne esco però soddisfatto e con qualcosa in più.

Filosofia della cura mi sento di consigliarlo vivamente a studenti di filosofia. E, in particolare, a tutti quanti sostengono che questa disciplina sia qualcosa di inutile e difficilmente concreta.

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este livro foi um achado depois de peregrinar e graimpar na livraria A Página e que acho que vai contribuir significativamente para a minha pesquisa. Os livros da editora Âyiné costumam ser caros e os desta coleção, mais ainda porque usam de hotstamping na capa e de pantone no texto do miolo. Boris Groys desenvolve mesmo uma filosofia do cuidado aqui, refletindo sobre as diversas camadas e possibilidades que a atividade cuidadora pode revelar. É interessante como ele analisa o cuidado como um presente e como a pessoa que cuida ou que presenteia se coloca em um papel superior àquele que é cuidado ou presenteado, algo que o satisfaz e ao mesmo tempo hierarquiza. Além disso, o autor também dá um destaque importante à dimensão do autocuidado, ou seja, os artifícios necessários para que cuidemos de nós mesmos, para, então, buscarmos acudir o próximo. Este é um livro com uma leitura fluida e gostosa que tive prazer em ler e obter o conhecimento presente nele.

[Megalodoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maravilloso repaso por la historia de la filosofía en relación con el cuidado. Una vuelta de tuerca respecto a lo que se concibe en la Modernidad por "cuidado", siempre en relación con la 'cura' médica. La institución médica se revela aquí como un agente más de reconocimiento del individuo sano, que debe evidenciar su bienestar mediante la documentación, estableciéndose así en la vasta base de datos que asegura su vigencia social. Se exploran aquí, además de ésta, más formas en las que se desarrolla la cuestión del cuidado que se vertebran desde autores reconocidos como Hegel, Heidegger, Nietzsche hasta autores algo más desconocidos como pudiera ser el cosmista ruso Alexander Bogdanov.

[Jim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Easily the least interesting book I have read by Verso Publishing. Lots of name-dropping and lengthy quotes, but no original thoughts, theories, or ideas are presented. In fact, besides claiming to be related to Foucault's idea of biopolitics AND claiming to be somehow about care work, neither of these avenues is pursued with any depth, especially not the latter. I finished this book, after copious skimming, utterly confounded it was even published at all. Reads like someone spouting non-profundities at a coffeeshop, to no one listening.

[Francesc Brunés]

Breu assaig en el qual l'autor revisa algunes de les aportacions filosòfiques de la cura, des de Plató a Hegel, Heidegger, Bataille, Foucault i Bogdánov. El text planteja preguntes com: Qui és el subjecte de la cura? Hem de tenir cura de nosaltres mateixos o hem de confiar aquesta tasca als altres, al sistema sanitari o a les institucions estatals? Les respostes proposen diferents relacions entre conceptes com dependència, autonomia, control, llibertat.
Altres recomanacions de lectures al blog «Mirades»: https://agorafrancesc.wordpress.com/l...

[angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

most interesting/relevant idea to my work: the ideas of the physical + symbolic body, and the idea that the symbolic body is an archive

the prose doesn’t bother me and neither does the absolute lack of engagement w feminist thought on care (i mean it’s a 100pg booklet and the blurb promises none of that) idgaf about the history of philosophy tho. so in reality i should’ve read another book

[Stu Napier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very short book but due to the depth of information Groys presents it will take some time to read all 100 pages. Very interesting if not somewhat tangential at times. Still not sure I understood it all.

[Edu Escudero · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Martina Neglia]

Diciamo che ve lo consiglio solo se avete una laurea in filosofia (o un* partner che ce l'ha)

[laita · Rating 3 out of 5]

crec que si tingués més bagatge filosòfic, l'hagués gaudit més.

[Diego Noriega · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encontré este libro en el momento perfecto

[Andrés Quesada · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Marcelo · Rating 2 out of 5]

No m ha cuidado

[Микита Павлюк · Rating 1 out of 5]

utile per capire come scrivere male, leggete Foucault che è più divertente

[Álvaro · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sinceramente, no entiendo el título de este libro. Menos al cuidado, se alude a otras muchas cosas. Me ha sido imposible terminarlo.

[Hayden · Rating 3 out of 5]

CHALLENGE: try not to mention hegel
🚧⚠️CHALLENGE IMPOSSIBLE⚠️🚧

3,5

[Shanti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Compré el libro por la primera página, disfruté algunas cosas sin duda, sin embargo, considero está escrito desde una mirada blanca privilegiada y un poco culpable, ¿de qué?, no lo sé, tal vez de no participar en el mundo y solo leer y observarlo con un privilegio dentro de ciertos círculos que se miran el ombligo. Considero le falta una sensibilidad femenina para relacionarse con el mundo, una filosofía del cuidado sin poner al centro la historia de las mujeres que son las que han cuidado del mundo me parece errado, me parece hasta un capricho no hacerlo. ¿Recomendaría este libro?, no creo, recomiendo que para una filosofía del cuidado mejor hay que conversar con las madres y las abuelas sobre jardines, personas y palabras.

[E H · Rating 2 out of 5]

this proved something i wrote a few days ago on one of his other works, groys knows hegel to an extent, but is mislead by engels and the materialists.
i was actually pleasantly surprised with how he tackled hegel in this book, of course it isn’t the absolute best reading and definitely has its issues which anyone that has nigh memorized every paragraph of the logic can nitpick on, but overall it’s not as bad as his other work.

beyond that this book is a fun short read, my main gripes are how little groys is to actually be found in this book, it’s more a history of the philosophy of care than anything else, which is fine.

[Luis Dastis · Rating 2 out of 5]

El libro se llama "filosofía del cuidado" Como podría llamarse "filosofía de la disciplina o de la castaña".

Parece un chiste que un hombre escriba un libro de cuidados sin hablar de género, sin nombrar a las mujeres y sin citar a ni una autora (a excepción de Arendt, la cita más lúcida del libro).

Nos encontramos ante un cursillo de Filosofía en el que se ha unido a diversos autores que se supone que hablan de "cuidado" mientras están hablando de cualquier otra cosa, como Foucault hablando del poder disciplinario.

En conclusión, nada taki taki rumba.

[meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was interesting, philosophy isnt really my thing so i found it quite challenging but i also thought a lot of the chapters/information was irrelevant to the 'care' aspect of the book. i did gain some insight from it, but not enough from the amount of effort and concentration needed to finish it and i found the last chapter dissapointing.