Parrhesia, defined as the act of speaking the truth frankly and completely, functions as a pedagogical practice within the framework of the care of the self and thereby guides individuals in establishing a relation to truth. First, the subject constituted through the care of the self is a subject engaged in practices of freedom. Second, through the subject’s spontaneous training in parrhesia, the ultimate aim is the realization of an autonomous mode of life. Finally, the care of the self extends beyond concern for the soul alone to encompass both body and mind; the body itself must become the embodiment of the unity of knowledge and action. At the same time, as a mode of being akin to virtue, parrhesia directs the subject toward the achievement of a flourishing life.
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