Yuriy V. Ryzhov

Academy of Engineering and Technology, Taganrog, Southern Federal University, Russia

THE care of THE self in the Christian tradition

This work was supported by Russian Foundation for Humanities, project number 14-06-00315a

This article is an introduction on the historical-cultural analysis of the phenomenon of "the care of the self" as a special form of human life, considered from the standpoint of traditional Christian teaching.

The concept of "the care of the self" (gr. «Epimeleia heatou», lat. «Cura sui») has been known since ancient times, but nowadays in the active cultural use it introduced by M. Foucault in the course of 1982 lectures at the College de France (and later in his 3d Volume of “The History of Sexuality” [1]). The monograph of G. Ivanchenko "The Care of the Self: Past and Present" (2009) states that the care can be seen as an emotional experience, as an activity, as the definition of the activities with the specific purpose of management. And while taking care of the self involves self-improvement, confidence and self-love, the pursuit of happiness, but it is not restricted to them. One of the most important aspects of the care of the self are activities and desires closely linked to the processes of self-improvement, authenticity and identity. [2]

M. Foucault contrasts the care of the self in Stoicism and Christianity. An important factor for him is a self-denial in the Christian asceticism. Antique "practice of the self" interpretated of Christianity belongs to starting of the crisis of European civilization (that echoes the ideas of F. Nietzsche). In contrast, S. Khoruzhiy (1998) writes about the one-sidedness of the postmodern approach. The essence of this one-sidedness lies in the universalization of such principles postmodern paradigm as "interference" and "interconnectivity" cultures, intertextuality, leveling any specific features of the object, etc. Because of this perception of any historical form of European culture their unique characteristics appear as only "remakes" of the original antique model. Khoruzhiy himself, criticizing the postmodern paradigm studies the phenomenon of “the care of the self”, proposes an alternative model based on the phenomenological methodology and anthropology of Orthodox Hesychasm. [3]

A detailed analysis of the differences between "the care of the self" in Stoicism and early Christianity spent A. Soloviev (2004). Summarizing, we can say that the purpose of life for Stoics is salvation (as freedom from passions), gaining independence from the outside world and self-sufficiency. In early Christianity this idea was changed to the practice of "the care of the self" understanding as an ontological transformation through faith and fellowship with others. Stoic "the care of the self" is a kind of existential therapy aimed at finding existential self-sufficiency of the subject, but Christian "the care of the self" is not only the autonomous management in the sphere of communication with God, it is a way to salvation through the the person of Jesus Christ [4].

There is a diversity of the Christian tradition, which makes sense to consider specific discourses of care within the three major confessions: Orthodox Christianity, Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. The main difference between Eastern and Western Christianity is a priority of mystical reflections for the first, while under Roman Catholicism and Protestantism the rational methods dominate not only in a theological discourse, but also in "the care of the self" in general.

In Biblical Revelation there are two significant for understanding human ontology points: "indecisiveness" radically denying "the self" and the possibility of a complacency. They define and constitute the entire structure of the spiritual and mystical experience of Orthodox asceticism. People were created as the "image and likeness of God" and were called to communication with Him. Also God’s gift of life and the presence of the uncreated grace of energy in a person which constitutes its existence as a synergetic are very important for Orthodox view on human life.

So we can understand the paradigmatic differences between Stoics’ "practices themselves" and Orthodox asceticism. "The self" from the Orthodox perspective is not just enough, because self-sufficiency is impossible for iconicity - synergetic creatures whose existence should be the deployment of the relationship with God.

For Western Christianity we can see a different picture. Legalistic soteriology gives another interpretation of religious experience. For example, the fall (original sin) is not interpreted as a waiver of the human being with God in the mode of human existence (falling away from God, suffering, death, etc.), but as a violation of God's law (crime against God). There exists a process of an externalization of the care, the removal of the inner workings to the execution of external regulations (such as rituals and traditions).

The Catholic version of "the care of the self" is characterized by the following features. The main soteriological position is the idea that people should be punished for their sins, and every sin demands satisfaction, because it offends the divine justice. The cult of "good deeds" is a kind of leaning toward the increasing value of subjective soteriology and belittling the true essence of Christian asceticism. Private communion with God is lost for many Catholics.

Protestant form of "the care of the self" is not homogeneous and uniform. But there are general provisions which make related all Protestant confession: the doctrine of the total depravity of human nature and the human inability to make any meaningful in his rescue actions, the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. Man as the subject of soteriological activity becomes a passive object of influence of the divine will. Really, Protestantism is no longer connected with the theme of salvation.

It is need to note that the development of the ecumenical movement is observed motion to each other between the various Christian denominations and the gradual interpenetration of ideas, including those associated with "the care of the self".

Literature:

1. Foucault M. The History of Sexuality. Vol. 3: The Care of the Self. N.Y., 1988.

2. Иванченко Г.В. Забота о себе: история и современность. М., 2009.

3. Хоружий С.С. К феноменологии аскезы.  М., 1998.

4. Соловьёв А.Е. "Спасение" и "лечение" как формы "заботы о душе" // Труды аспирантов и соискателей РГУ. Том Х. Ростов-на-Дону, 2004.