Arts & Ideas - Technologies of the Self
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‘Technologies of the self’ is a phrase from the French philosopher Michel Foucault to describe things people might do to shape the people they are, like dieting, exercise, journaling, or in an earlier age perhaps like prayer, or confession. Shahidha Bari hosts Radio 4's roundtable discussion programme asking how this idea might help us make sense of the age of social media influencers and lifestyle trends.
Her guests are:
Elizabeth Oldfield, host of The Sacred podcast, author of Fully Alive: Tending The Soul In Turbulent Times
Anouchka Grose, psychotherapist and author of The Revolution Will Be Internalised
Tiffany Watt Smith, historian of emotions whose most recent book is Bad Friend: On Joyous Imperfect love
Heather Widows, philosopher and author of Perfect Me: Beauty As An Ethical Ideal
and
Daniele Lorenzini, philosopher and Foucault scholar
Producer: Luke Mulhall
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Published on Friday, 15th May 2026.
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