Letter to Foucault (Letters to Philosophers #3)

Dearest Monsieur Foucault,

There have been many words to describe you by many people who came across your work: liberator, libertine, subversive, scandalous, postmodernist, poststructuralist, etc. I am certain that these words mean little to you, since you believe that language and labels constraint rather than illuminate. As a fellow man of letters, I am afraid this is where we fundamentally disagree.

You have spoken to me about growing up in a Catholic family and serving as an altar boy. You must have had memories of being close to the priest during the Words of Consecration: “Take this, all of you, and eat of it, for this is my body, given up for you.” He holds up the Eucharist, which appears to be a round piece of unleavened bread, but the substance is truly the Body of Jesus Christ.

Even if you do not believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation, you ought to realize the impact that the Words of Consecration make: the congregation of Mass attendees, normally living their separate lives, now become united in the knowledge of Christ’s sacrificial victory. As individuals, we are often darkened by our own thoughts, emotions, aspirations, and fears. But when the priest proclaims those sacred syllables, we are reminded of our ultimate destiny: to be in union with God, who became man in order to pursue us.

Much of your writings and teachings focus on the human body in relation to the world he lives in. The History of Sexuality volumes, which you never got to finish, serve as an pioneering example of this research. In the world of human sciences, that is a commendable step to take, since much of philosophy and sociology that permeate our thinking has become hyper focused on the mind and the ideal. These thinkers, brilliant and quick-minded as they were, forgot that man is not a mere thinking creature. Much of our lives are centered on taking care of our bodies: eating, drinking, exercising, healing from various illnesses, lovemaking, etc. We understand the world through our bodies, and our bodies can be our main source of daily frustration and delight.

Nevertheless, one can become too fixated on the body and its functions and neglect the realm of the spirit. Your writings deal extensively with how institutions such as the school, the hospital, and the prison discipline and control the human body. There is much pessimism in the cold, detached prose style you use to describe the mechanics of these institutions - as if you are convinced that human life is under constant control because of their existence. One can be forgiven for thinking this way if his foundational belief is that we are only our bodies. Yet I am reminded of the words of St. Paul, who said: “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (2 Cor. 4:16) The history of Christianity is filled with people who were put in jail for what they believe, yet the freedom they found in Christ outweighs whatever bodily shackles they have to endure.

As much as you overestimate the degree to which institutions can control our bodies, you also underestimate the various ways in which our bodies rebel against our very being. I know that you believe that the very notion of sin is fabricated by clerics to control how we act and think, but even in our daily lives we know which actions contribute to the health of the body, and which are not. We know that eating well, sleeping well, and regular exercise are good for the body, and we refrain from addictive substances and overindulgence in pleasures so as not to put our bodies in harm’s way. Given much of what you share in your personal life, I do not think you are unaware of this rule. You are merely acting in rebellion against it.

Anyone who struggles with addiction and self-indulgence, myself included, can resonate with St. Paul’s words: “For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” (Rom. 7:19) Our bodies can always come up with clever ways to gain mastery over us, and I feel sorrow for anyone who relinquishes control over his fleshly desires.

Finally, I would like to offer you my deepest sympathies as you wage your private battles against the HIV virus. Your daily struggles against this horrible disease has been a source of inspiration for many who are fighting the same battles, especially those in the margins of our society. I find it commendable that your partner, Daniel Defert, became increasingly interested in raising awareness of this mortal illness when it was virtually unknown, and those suffering from it were generally uncared for. Whether or not you believe in life after death, it is possible that your legacy can be the changing attitudes people have about AIDS and the people who have it. Remember the Cross as you live, for He knows your suffering, and He suffers with you.

Yours truly,

Chuong