The Moral Content of Caring for Oneself (First)
Ruth - Rhiannon Graybill
Jennifer Johnson Williams [+]
Linfield University
Description
Interpretations of Ruth’s character present her as a model of selfsacrifice, supporting a Western and Christian technology of the self and claiming self-sacrifice as an admirable moral principle. Similarly, there exists a modern tendency to view self-care as selfishness. This creates an unhelpful dichotomy. This chapter challenges such ideas, considers Michel Foucault’s concept of the “technology of the self,” and generates a new claim for the ethical content of Ruth’s actions. Ruth’s contracts with Naomi in ch. 1 and then Boaz in ch. 3 demonstrate profound resourcefulness and care of oneself rather than self-sacrifice. She repeatedly exhibits an ethic that benefits and transforms her self and others. Thus, Ruth reveals the importance of and inherent virtues in self-care, especially in the face of various difficulties.