Resistance To The Self

Assuming that there is no reality beyond what power constructs presents a conundrum for resistance. Being that there is no essential truth to the self, every conception of the truth becomes concretized as such. It is irrelevant if one’s perception of truth is intrinsic or not, the fact is that they perceive it as such. If a person subscribes to a rigid notion of heterosexuality, whatever that involves, whether it is innate or not is beside the point. The heterosexual sees her or his identity as reality, and is constricted by it. Our perception of reality is just that, our reality. And by extension, any resistance to our reality is a resistance to precisely that: reality – as we know it that is. Conversely, resistance is a reality to the same …show more content…
This enables us to comprehend the coercive effect of power, to understand the influences at play in shaping our identity. In doing so, he lays the groundwork for our emancipation of it, allowing us to pinpoint certain aspects and origins of power, which in turn aids us to offer resistance to it. It seems that offering us the ability to resist power is just as, if not more insidious than remaining oblivious to power’s influence. Because now we become aware of power’s coercive nature, creating our reality within this realm of newfound knowledge that is subjugation. Where we once accepted the powers that be without analysing its coercive nature, our knowledge of it now forces us to contend with this realization since it is now part of our reality. Additionally, since subjugation and resistance are but two sides of the same coin, or two aspects of power, resisting it is no more an escape than capitulating to it. On the contrary, it presents us with a false sense of reality, even more so than our naïve submission does. In subscribing to resistance the self assumes an oppositional position, one that assumes its existence to be outside power’s influence, while in reality – if we acquiesce to Foucault’s notion of reality as far as power is concerned – remains deeply entrenched in …show more content…
But being that the individual is never totally removed from power’s domain it proved a difficult feat. However, if power is indeed as coercive as he maintains, then providing a discourse on power serves to further power’s domination. In other words, the more resistance to power there is, the more dominion power really has. For when an individual identifies as a resister, they assume that they are fighting power, from the inside or without. The more they think they are resisting, the more they feel separated from power’s influence. But being that power imbeds resistance into its organization, any form of resistance is part of the same ruse, perpetuated by power to maintain its position. Thus, being oblivious to power’s influence and offering resistance to it are one and the same, the only difference being that the latter foolishly believes in their autonomy over and above power, while the former remains indifferent to it. In practical terms this allows the dupe, unaware of power’s influence to identify as an autonomous being, even though that is not the case. But for the one who knows of power’s existence, their identity is transformed through this knowledge, producing an identity now defined by resistance, as an oppressed being struggling to overcome its dominators. So, knowing that resistance is all part of power’s plan, the more resistance one