In his works on ethics, Foucault turned towards an examination of one's relationship with oneself and others. This differs from the modern approaches that explore the relationship between and the responsibilities of actors to each other by adopting criteria. Ethical criteria engender assumptions about the actors by focusing on their responsibilities. Instead of relying on criteria, Foucault's writing and lectures contributed to an awareness of the activities we take upon ourselves as ethical subjects. His reconstruction of the Greco-Roman ethics seeks to examine the possibilities of the reconstitution and transformation of subjectivity. Through this, he offers an avenue of understanding the formation of ethical subjects in their educational interrelationships.
Bruce Moghtader
Foucault education ethics governmentality self action methodology Michel Foucault
“Bruce Moghtader’s first book, Foucault and Educational Ethics … is both accessible and informative, providing an in-depth analysis of Foucault’s ethics of self-constitution, and its application to current educational studies. … Moghtader’s application of Foucauldian philosophy to educational ethics paves new ground for pragmatic interpretations of continental philosophy, and nudges its readers towards an ethics of self-understanding. Moghtader’s book contributes both to Foucault scholarship and to educational studies through a compelling discussion of study as essential for the good life.” (Samantha Wesch, Foucault Studies, Issue 23, August, 2017)
'Succinct, accessible, insightful, Foucault and Educational Ethics is indispensable reading, a book both to study and to teach, a book that shows us that education can be 'a process where one finds, loses and transforms oneself in the activity of learning.' Not the final word on Foucault, this primer is a powerful and provocative beginning.' - William F. Pinar, Professor and Canada Research Chair, University of British Columbia, Canada
"This book is a deep, yet approachable introduction to the complex thinking of Foucault and with a special focus on ethics and education ... a book that will make you question and question further." - Barbara Weber, Associate Professor, University of British Columbia, Canada