The History of Sexuality, Volume 3: The Care of the Self

Michel Foucault shifts his investigation to the first and second centuries CE, examining Greek and Roman texts by figures such as Galen, Plutarch, and Artemidorus. He argues that this era saw a transition in the moral code of the elite, moving away from public civic duty toward a private preoccupation with "the care of the self." This framework emphasizes self-transformation through rigorous daily practices, medical regimens, and dietary restrictions. Foucault details how sexual activity became framed as a potential source of physical fragility, requiring strict moderation and personal discipline to maintain internal balance.

Historians and philosophers read this volume to understand the shift from classical Athenian ethics to the moral structures that preceded Christian thought. The text provides a historical analysis of how individuals began to treat their own lives as works of art through self-governance. Readers gain a specific vocabulary for discussing the "cultivation of the self" and the historical origins of modern subjectivity. It clarifies how ancient anxieties regarding health and stamina shaped western attitudes toward the body and intimate conduct long before the rise of religious prohibitions.