Ethics and Self-care

French philosopher, historian, author and political activist Paul-Michel Foucault espoused an ethic of self-care based upon “his broader philosophical views on power, knowledge, and the self.” He saw ethics as an outcome of our outer world as much as our inner one and viewed it as key to conscious living and mental and physical health—a far cry from our current one-size-fits-all, often oppressive self-care ideas and ideals.  Our ethics are the moral principles we (hopefully consciously) choose to guide our lives, the principles that make us do this and not that. Foucault argued that “modern societies have developed a form of power that operates through the regulation and normalization of individuals’ behaviours and identities. In this context, self-care becomes a crucial practice for individuals to resist and navigate these mechanisms of power.”  These overt and covert societal or cultural expectations dictate how we should be and act. Never underestimate the hold...