ult ▁is ▁critical ▁of ▁the ▁idea ▁that ▁humans ▁can ▁reach ▁" absolute " ▁knowledge ▁about ▁the ▁world . ▁A ▁fundamental ▁goal ▁in ▁many ▁of ▁Fou ca ult ' s ▁works ▁is ▁to ▁show ▁how ▁that ▁which ▁has ▁tradition ally ▁been ▁considered ▁as ▁absolute , ▁universal ▁and ▁true ▁in ▁fact ▁are ▁histor ically ▁cont ing ent . ▁To ▁Fou ca ult , ▁even ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁absolute ▁knowledge ▁is ▁a ▁histor ically ▁cont ing ent ▁idea . ▁This ▁does ▁however ▁not ▁lead ▁to ▁ep ist em ological ▁n ih il ism ; ▁rather , ▁Fou ca ult ▁arg ues ▁that ▁we ▁" always ▁begin ▁an ew " ▁when ▁it ▁comes ▁to ▁knowledge . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁Fou ca ult ▁is ▁critical ▁of ▁modern ▁western ▁philosophy ▁for ▁lack ing ▁" sp irit ual ity ". ▁With ▁" sp irit ual ity " ▁Fou ca ult ▁refers ▁to ▁a ▁certain ▁type ▁of ▁eth ical ▁being , ▁and ▁the ▁processes ▁that ▁lead ▁to ▁this ▁state ▁of ▁being . ▁Fou ca ult ▁arg ues ▁that ▁such ▁a ▁spiritual ity ▁was ▁a ▁natural ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ancient ▁Greek ▁philosophy , ▁where ▁knowledge ▁was ▁considered ▁as ▁something ▁that ▁was ▁only ▁accessible ▁to ▁those ▁that ▁had ▁an ▁eth ical ▁character . ▁According ▁to ▁Fou ca ult ▁this ▁changed ▁in ▁the ▁" cart esian ▁moment ", ▁the ▁moment ▁when ▁René ▁Des cart es ▁reached ▁the ▁" ins ight " ▁that ▁self - aw aren ess ▁was ▁something ▁given ▁( C og ito ▁er go ▁sum , ▁" I ▁think , ▁therefore