The present essay analyses the notion of the care of the soul and how it unfolds within the Czech philosopher Jan Patočka’s philosophical thinking. It focuses on how the care of the soul emerges within antique philosophy, and moreover, its decline during the rise of mathematical and technological thinking.  

Through his interpretations of Plato and Socrates, Patočka shows how the care of the soul was not necessarily directed towards a delimited subject but a joint confrontation with the negativity of existence and the conflict between the manifestations and the concealment of meaning. In order to understand Patočka’s understanding of the care of the soul, and how it has declined, this essay argues that we must look at how the care of the soul is embedded within this conflict between metaphysics that conceals the negativity and life that confronts this negativity. To care for the soul, was not only a search for a firm ground but to shake one’s ground. By acknowledging this conflict, the care of the soul is understood in terms of responsibility and sacrifice that aims to overcome not only nihilism but also a metaphysical, mathematical, and technological conception of the soul. Instead of the metaphysical understanding of the care of the soul, Patočka’s understanding of the care of the soul allows us to move beyond metaphysics and subjectivity towards groundless solidarity with others.