Care of the self as a challenge for modern man. Towards unbridled consumption or constructive self-training?
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In this article, I discuss the issue of the meaning of care of the self as a challenge for modern man and for education. Care of the self becomes particularly important in a world of uncertainty, undefined threat, and change, which is not based on permanent moral, axiological, and semiotic foundations. In this chaos, a question emerges of how the journey from the self to the Self looks like and how this “second” Self is understood. The considerations in the article will focus on the thesis that openness to dialogue with oneself and others, which is based on parrhesia, plays an important role in constructing the identity of a modern man. In this dialogue, an individual can get to know himself and be himself at the same time. By conducting a dialogue with others, we show who we are, what values are important to us, and at the same time we learn to recognize other perspectives presented by our interlocutors. This is a manifestation of the care of the self and and others, which the ancient world called for. However, in the modern world, this is a difficult task to accomplish due to the lack of clear moral references, the ubiquitous phenomenon of contempt and hatred for differences, and the loss of the ability to conduct argument-based dialogue. In this aspect, education plays a key role, as it should prepare individuals for constructive self-training.
Source: Studia z Teorii Wychowania
Author: Anna Babicka-Wirkus
Institution: Uniwersytet Pomorski w Słupsku
Language: English
Subfield: Philosophy
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4408740242