Foucault on the Politics of Parrhesia (Palgrave Pivot)

Foucault saw the notion of parrhesia (truth-telling) as the most important factor for how governments could and should communicate with their people and vice versa. This important collection compiles and analyses Foucault's views on parrhesia to shed new light on his ideas on the importance of truth-telling in democracies. The late Foucault's discussions of truth-telling (parrhesia) revolve around freedom of speech and the quality of democracy: citizens' courage to speak truth to power as well as political authorities' courage to speak truthfully as to what must be done. The notion of parrhesia held particular interest for Foucault as a result of its focus on the ground for exercising political authority. It connotes truthful and trustworthy speech, which goes hand in hand with the accountability and capability of democratic government. With parrhesia we get a political take on truth, for which personal integrity, frankness, timing, courage and resolve are defining features. Foucault's discussions of parrhesia are vital for getting at his political triangulation of power, knowledge and ethics, alias techniques of governmentality, truth-telling and the shaping of the relationship to self. These ideas provide the basis for approaching his discussions on the autonomy of politics and democratic political authority Front Matter....Pages i-vi Speaking Truth to Power and Power Speaking Truthfully....Pages 1-9 Power: From Productive Submission and Domination to Transformative Capacity....Pages 10-30 The Nature of Critique: Political Not Epistemological....Pages 31-45 The Politics of Critique: Political Engagement and Government....Pages 46-65 The Nature of Parrhesia: Political Truth-Telling in Relation to Power, Knowledge and Ethics....Pages 66-83 The Politics of Parrhesia:The Autonomy of Democratic Politics and the Parrhesiastic Pact....Pages 84-101 Leadership and Community: Critique of Obedience and Democratic Paradoxes....Pages 102-118 Political Perspectives: Authority and the Duality of Power, Politics and Politicization....Pages 119-125 Back Matter....Pages 126-141 Cover 1 Half-Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 List of Illustrations 7 1 Speaking Truth to Power andPower Speaking Truthfully 8 2 Power: From ProductiveSubmission and Dominationto Transformative Capacity 17 3 The Nature of Critique:Political Not Epistemological 38 4 The Politics of Critique:Political Engagementand Government 53 5 The Nature of Parrhesia: PoliticalTruth-Telling in Relation toPower, Knowledge and Ethics 73 6 The Politics of Parrhesia:The Autonomy ofDemocratic Politics andthe Parrhesiastic Pact 91 7 Leadership and Community:Critique of Obedience andDemocratic Paradoxes 109 8 Political Perspectives: Authorityand the Duality of Power,Politics and Politicization 126 References 133 Index 144