초록 열기/닫기 버튼
Noticing the Greeks' free choice regarding sexual pleasure, Michel Foucault insists that one, who is free and self controlled, has the possibility of becoming an ethical subject. By choosing their behavior freely and taking responsibilities for their own choice, ethical individuals can achieve the morality as a mode of action of ethical subjects and relations with themselves. To be an ethical subject, one should attend to oneself through the cultivation of the self and the care of the self. Foucault suggests self examination, self control, and self knowledge as the way of cultivation of the self. The concept of Foucault's ethical subject can bel applied to John Steinbeck's East of Eden and Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady. In East of Eden, Cal Trask reveals the possibility of an ethical subject in the process of struggling against his destiny as a Cain. "Timshel", Adam Trask's last word as well as the main theme, allows Cal the chance for wielding free will and growing to be an ethical subject in terms of self knowledge and the care of the self. On the other hand, in The Portrait of a Lady, Isabel Archer, who wants to become the mistress of her own life, is aware that she should develop herself and exercise the self mastery by affronting destiny. When her knowledge and judgement turn out immature and morally impaired, she speculates about herself as the way of self examination and care of the self. And this leads to Isabel's maturity as an ethical subject balanced by the care of the self.
키워드열기/닫기 버튼
ethical subject, cultivation of self, care of the self, free will, self examination, self knowledge, self control
