Abstract
The rise of antiessentialism can have specific consequences regarding economies of power and identity (Anderson, 1992). One discovers that as certain antiessentialist practices and discourses emerge, a body politic and its membership can also change, reflecting different political, social, or economic goals. A mechanism to cope with these realities, parrhesia is understood as a notion of truth or free speech unbounded by rhetoric. It requires a "truth teller" to assume risk and have some ties to some undeniable logical form. Resistance through the act of parrhesia then can lead both to "othering" as well as a mechanism to check political power. Though problematic in certain instances, it can contribute to governance in contemporary society.