Philosophical interpretation of the concept “care”: from “medicine” in antiquity to the “great to be” in the present

Concern of an individual about himself was an important element of philosophical reflection in Antiquity. A spinning top, a mirror, security, audit served as metaphors of concern. The most frequently used metaphor was that of medicine with a detailed description of when, to whom and by whom it was prescribed, in what amount and succession to handle it. In the philosophy of the twentieth century, concern is defined in the works of M. Foucault and P. Hadot. Its structure comprises ethical substance, mode of subjection, ascetic practices and telos. Concern of an individual about himself is transformed under the influence of technological development and media environment; it is constitutive for modern culture practices and appears metaphorically in the form of the slogan "it's great to live." As an existential guideline concern is efficient in the modus "it's great to be", as opposed to the embodied selfish view "it's great to have".