Thinking differently

Foucault and the philosophy of religion

Jeremy Carrette

pp. 113-138

in: Morny Joy (ed), Continental philosophy and philosophy of religion, Berlin, Springer, 2011

Abstract

The basic intention of Foucault is to effect a reconfiguration of the status of knowledge and of the subject insofar as they unquestioningly reflect Enlightenment ideals of truth and autonomy. With regard to knowledge, his aim is to uncover the dynamics of power at work in the production of knowledge systems, while his later writing on the "care of the self" seeks to express forms of self-cultivation rather than subscribe to systems that presume an autonomous subject. While his work never dealt thematically with religion, there are nevertheless strong grounds to apply his ideas on these topics to religion, specifically in regard to disciplinary practices and regulations.

Cited authors

Foucault Michel