Foucault and Individual Autonomy

Abstract

What does it mean, to be ‘autonomous’, and more specifically, is it still possible to discern a modicum of ‘autonomy’ on the part of people in contemporary ‘carceral’ society to a significant degree — that is, a degree not limited to a handful of individuals whose autonomy one may discern in their ‘critical’ actions vis-à-vis mainstream discourses and behaviour? Is there indeed evidence, as implied by the question above, that the majority of people today function as ‘docile bodies’, in Foucault's words? In this paper it is argued that Foucault — especially in his study of ancient sexuality — provides one with a model for autonomy in a psychical as well as ethical sense, which can be articulated in terms of what Hellenistic thinkers termed ‘the care of the self’. Further that, for various reasons, this model is worth emulating, given the disciplinary, ‘panoptical’ structure and functioning of contemporary society, which tends to reduce individuals to ‘docile bodies’. It is noteworthy that, according to Foucault, psychology has been historically complicit in this process.

Capitalism and suffering

“…What was argued earlier concerning "adaptation" is confirmed by Federici's elaboration on the contribution of so-called "industrial/organizational psychology" to the systematic development of a psychology of conformity to promote optimal discipline and productivity on the part of labouring subjects in the context of capitalist production -something that resonates with Foucault's (1995) sustained argument that, in modern society, various mechanisms of discipline have reduced subjects to "docile bodies" which are politically impotent but economically productive (Olivier, 2010). Federici (2013) discerns three lessons that may be learnt from the complex history of capitalism's relentless transformation of bodies into labour power: that the "mechanization of the body" is demanded by work-discipline under capitalism, concomitantly annihilating the body's creativity and autonomy; that the complicity of psychologists with this process (ignoring workers' abhorrence of the regimentation of their minds and bodies by industrial labour, for example) amounts to their betrayal of the assumptions on which their claim to be doing science rests; and that the crisis of contemporary capitalism is uncovered by this history.…”

Normalization in World Politics

“…As Foucault (1991: 136) points out, a docile body is "the body that is manipulated, shaped, trained, which obeys, responds, becomes skillful and increases its forces." A docile body, able to be analyzed and manipulated, can be "subjected, used, transformed and improved" (Foucault 1991: 136;see also Foucault 1988b;Olivier 2010;Stewart 2017). The will to create docile states through normalization interventions is a will to establish an international society that is constantly subject to external examination and imposition.…”

Pathoanalysis of the subject of capitalism

“…The notion of “adaptation,” while not synonymous with “normalisation,” is related to it insofar as someone subjected to the latter may be said to “adapt” to the criteria applicable to the norm in question, unless he or she demonstrably resists mechanisms of normalisation, in the process claiming a measure of autonomy for himself or herself (Olivier, ). More specifically, by “adaptation” is meant that mode of social and psychic being which Lacan's psychoanalytic work was intended to subvert (Parker, ).…”