Publication Details

Abstract

This study deals with the analysis and interpretation of the ideas of the pragmatist philosopher Richard Shusterman on somaesthetics. This is an umbrella term used by Shusterman to refer to discourses on the body, philosophies of corporeality, and practical bodily exercises that have emerged in both Western and Oriental cultures over the millennia. Particular attention in the study is given to what Shusterman refers to as practical somaesthetics, that is, specific practices performed with one’s body that have the potential to serve several important purposes. These are primarily the overcoming of incorporated somatic deficits, the realization of selfknowledge, and the development of social morality. The aim of this study is to highlight the importance of practical somaesthetics in the above-mentioned areas, not only through an analysis of Shusterman’s major works but also in relation to Wolfgang Welsch’s ideas on aisthésis, Michel Foucault’s ideas on the ancient ideal of an aesthetics of existence, and with a particular emphasis on work on the body in traditions such as yoga.