Parrhesiasts: Diogenes
Truth-telling as an activity was one of Michel Foucault's last theme of research.
The problematization of truth-telling or parrhesia during Antiquity was the
main subject of the seminar
he gave at Berkeley in 1983. In parallel, Foucault has given two series
of lessons at the College de France untitled "le
courage de la verite" – the courage of truth-telling – describing
the life and ethics of truth-tellers or 'parrhesiasts' with a long portrait
of Diogenes the Cynic as a professional truth-teller with appropriate techniques.