Based on/from Foucault, Michel (2003) ...in “The Government of Self and Others” At the College De France 1975-1976 ed. Frederic Gros trans. Graham Burchell USA: Palgave Macmillan
Philosophy is a particular activity of practicing veridiction in relation to power. The philosophical logos and ergon is a form of actual reality that is not just a counter logos violently raging against power and tyranny. The philosopher who speaks without being listened to, or again, who speaks under the threat of death basically only speaks hot air and pointlessly and indeed, the first test of philosophy is the listening it meets with (f, p. 235). The person whom the philosopher is persuading must be worth the very attempt (f, p. 236).
The philosopher lives in society with a particular state of mind. She engages in her usual actions but at all times she sticks to philosophy and a certain way of life ‘that gives her a sober mind, a ready intelligence, a tttenacious memory and skill in reasoning (f, p. 237).’ The philosopher as such has three forms of key attributes. 1), she is eumathes – able to learn easily; 2) she is mnemon – she has good memory and permanently retains everything she has learnt in a lively, present and active way and she is 3), logizesthai dunatos – she can reason in a given situation and conjecture or to use reasoning and apply it to the right decision (p. 240). The philosopher must be in harmony or symphony with herself (f, p. 269). She must ensure that she makes herself emphron and sumphonos – thoughtful and wise and moderate (f, p. 269). The philosopher must each day try to control herself in relation to herself – egkrates autos hautou (f, p. 270). She has three types of qualities that she always possess. She has 1) epistemen - knowledge 2) eunoian – benevolence and 3) parresian – frankness.
The philosophical endeavour in everyday life entails of much pains. One must occupy oneself with certain things which are the pragmata of philosophy so that one can at the right moments, show others the entirety of philosophy in its reality (f, p. 238). The practice of philosophy is a path that the philosopher has chosen, followed and the path whose end he wishes to reach and that he cannot live otherwise. “Ou bioton allon”: it is not possible for her to live differently (f, p. 239).
The very practice of philosophy is a set of practices through which the subject has a relationship to itself, elaborates itself and works on itself (f, p. 242). The reality of philosophy is to be found in the practices of the self on self (f, p. 255). The philosopher lives with philosophy (Sunousia - cohabitation, Suzen - living with) but must becareful not to dream of bringing ten phusin – nature before the eyes of everyone because that would very often be pointlessly dangerous (f, p. 249). Practicing philosophy is sufficient enough an endeixis – indication.
The philosopher’s practices or mode of being confronts reality and demands reality to show if her practices are true or false (f, p. 278). She is someone who practices parresia or truth telling to such an extent where not doing so would almost amount to committing an injustice to herself and she refuses to commit this injustice. The philosopher is an agent of the truth. She claims for herself the monopoly of parresia as a form of life, way of behaving, style of dressing (f, p.320-321) that tells and demonstrates the truth she wants reality wants and dares reality to evaluate. Her entire life is a manifestation and testimony of the truth (f, p. 343). To live philosophically is to show the truth through the ethos (the way one lives), the way one reacts (to a situation, a scene, when one is confronted with a particular situation), and the doctrine she teaches (f, p. 344).
The philosopher will only speak the truth, or remain otherwise, silent (f, p. 326).
Her philosophical discourse is none other than to care about herself and exhort others to care about themselves. ‘Care’ here refers to examining and testing at every moment a person’s relation to reality. The philosopher’s discourse owes its dunamis - strength to the very being which speaks through it and not claims to objectivity (f, p. 327). The philosopher’s truth is a constant and permanent function of her discourse.
Parrhesiastic courage is necessary (p. 372). The philosopher has to tell her truth courageously even if it means risking certain aspects of her life and even of death (f, p. 324). But more importantly, the philosopher has to consistently be parrhesiastic. The philosopher is one who practices truth-telling.
