1-1-2011 reader

dear you,
happy new year.
i spent the whole afternoon re-reading this book.
maybe this is the best little gift for you: some excerpts from 'the hermeneutics of the subject' by michel foucault.

This is the notion of "care of oneself." [...] of the relations between the epimeleia heautou (care of the self) and the gnōthi seauton ("know yourself").

The care of oneself is a sort of thorn which must be stuck in men's flesh , driven into their existence, and which is a principle of restlessness and movement, of continuous concern throughout life. [...] epimeliea heautou (the care of the self) is indeed the justificatory framework, ground, and foundation for the imperative "know yourself." [...]

Having to care about oneself is not just a condition for gaining access to the philosophical life, in the strict and full sense of the term. You will see, I will try to show you , how generally speaking the principle that one must take care of oneself became the principle of all rational conduct in all forms of active life that would truly conform to the principle of moral rationality. [...]

(click for larger image)

'The Hermeneutics of the Subject' by Michel Foucault

wish you a fruitful journey in 2011.
love,
g