The Subject of Desire and the Hermeneutics of Thoughts: Foucault’s Reading of Augustine and Cassian in Confessions of the Flesh
Although Foucault presented History of Sexuality Vol. 4: Confessions of the Flesh as a crucial part in the study of the genealogy of the subject of desire, Foucault’s analyses of early Christian doctrine and pastoral technologies do not support the claim that an analytic of the subject of desire wa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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CBS Open Journals
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Foucault Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://rauli.cbs.dk/index.php/foucault-studies/article/view/6799 |
| _version_ | 1797285668902141952 |
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| author | Herman Westerink |
| author_facet | Herman Westerink |
| author_sort | Herman Westerink |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Although Foucault presented History of Sexuality Vol. 4: Confessions of the Flesh as a crucial part in the study of the genealogy of the subject of desire, Foucault’s analyses of early Christian doctrine and pastoral technologies do not support the claim that an analytic of the subject of desire was established in early Christianity. This can be shown through a reconstruction of his readings of Augustine and Cassian. Augustine’s doctrinal views of the human condition and the association of libido and disobedience to law are not accompanied by the production of technologies for the hermeneutics of desire. Cassian’s pastoral technologies of obedience and subjection to the will of the spiritual director are organized around the hermeneutics of thoughts, and they aim at establishing an inner detachment from misleading thoughts through examination of conscience. This reconstruction opens new trajectories for a genealogy of the subject of desire and for a genealogy of pastoral power and governmentality.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T18:06:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-71ea9fdc3939408ebdb62ba7f34df212 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1832-5203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T18:06:29Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | CBS Open Journals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foucault Studies |
| spelling | doaj.art-71ea9fdc3939408ebdb62ba7f34df2122024-03-02T08:49:50ZengCBS Open JournalsFoucault Studies1832-52032022-12-013310.22439/fs.vi33.6799The Subject of Desire and the Hermeneutics of Thoughts: Foucault’s Reading of Augustine and Cassian in Confessions of the FleshHerman Westerink0Radboud University Nijmegen Although Foucault presented History of Sexuality Vol. 4: Confessions of the Flesh as a crucial part in the study of the genealogy of the subject of desire, Foucault’s analyses of early Christian doctrine and pastoral technologies do not support the claim that an analytic of the subject of desire was established in early Christianity. This can be shown through a reconstruction of his readings of Augustine and Cassian. Augustine’s doctrinal views of the human condition and the association of libido and disobedience to law are not accompanied by the production of technologies for the hermeneutics of desire. Cassian’s pastoral technologies of obedience and subjection to the will of the spiritual director are organized around the hermeneutics of thoughts, and they aim at establishing an inner detachment from misleading thoughts through examination of conscience. This reconstruction opens new trajectories for a genealogy of the subject of desire and for a genealogy of pastoral power and governmentality. https://rauli.cbs.dk/index.php/foucault-studies/article/view/6799Confessions of the Fleshobediencelawdesiresubjecthermeneutics |
| spellingShingle | Herman Westerink The Subject of Desire and the Hermeneutics of Thoughts: Foucault’s Reading of Augustine and Cassian in Confessions of the Flesh Foucault Studies Confessions of the Flesh obedience law desire subject hermeneutics |
| title | The Subject of Desire and the Hermeneutics of Thoughts: Foucault’s Reading of Augustine and Cassian in Confessions of the Flesh |
| title_full | The Subject of Desire and the Hermeneutics of Thoughts: Foucault’s Reading of Augustine and Cassian in Confessions of the Flesh |
| title_fullStr | The Subject of Desire and the Hermeneutics of Thoughts: Foucault’s Reading of Augustine and Cassian in Confessions of the Flesh |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Subject of Desire and the Hermeneutics of Thoughts: Foucault’s Reading of Augustine and Cassian in Confessions of the Flesh |
| title_short | The Subject of Desire and the Hermeneutics of Thoughts: Foucault’s Reading of Augustine and Cassian in Confessions of the Flesh |
| title_sort | subject of desire and the hermeneutics of thoughts foucault s reading of augustine and cassian in confessions of the flesh |
| topic | Confessions of the Flesh obedience law desire subject hermeneutics |
| url | https://rauli.cbs.dk/index.php/foucault-studies/article/view/6799 |
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