Read the full article which is published on Philosophy Bits (external link)I have a strong intuition that there is something I must do. To leave it undone feels not just inappropriate but wrong. The action I feel I must take is not for me but for another person. Acting from awareness, I offer them something in a genuine attempt to help.
But for whatever reason, my offer is not well received. Instead of responding with gratitude, the recipient is upset. I consider again what I’ve done, but I cannot see any wrong in my actions. I believe that my offer was compassionate and it ought to have been accepted. Instead of allowing that I’ve made a mistake, I choose to blame the other.
Jumping to blame is a sign that something has gone wrong. A truly compassionate act will always be accepted. It is by definition something that helps to meet the needs of the other person. Of course, it’s possible that I’ve seen a need that the other hasn’t yet seen, but compassion must take this into account.
Poststructuralism as a Regime of Truth: Foucault and the Paradox of Philosophical Authority
Foucault’s critique of power and knowledge shaped poststructuralism, yet its rejection of truth risks becoming its own orthodoxy. To remain...
