Body consciousness : a philosophy of mindfulness and somaesthetics

Contemporary culture increasingly suffers from problems of attention, over-stimulation, and stress, and a variety of personal and social discontents generated by deceptive body images. This book argues that improved body consciousness can relieve these problems and enhance one's knowledge, performance, and pleasure. The body is our basic medium of perception and action, but focused attention to its feelings and movements has long been criticised as a damaging distraction that also ethically corrupts through self-absorption. In Body Consciousness, Richard Shusterman refutes such charges by engaging the most influential twentieth-century somatic philosophers and incorporating insights from both Western and Asian disciplines of body-mind awareness. Rather than rehashing intractable ontological debates on the mind-body relation, Shusterman reorients study of this crucial nexus towards a more fruitful, pragmatic direction that reinforces important but neglected connections between philosophy of mind, ethics, politics, and the pervasive aesthetic dimensions of everyday life. Contemporary Culture Increasingly Suffers From Problems Of Attention, Over-stimulation, And Stress. We Are Plagued By A Growing Variety Of Personal And Social Discontents Generated By Deceptive Body Images. This Book Argues That Improved Body Consciousness Can Relieve These Problems And Enhance One's Knowledge, Performance, And Pleasure. The Body Is Our Basic Medium Of Perception And Action, But Focused Attention To Its Feelings And Movements Has Long Been Criticized As A Damaging Distraction That Also Ethically Corrupts Through Self-absorption. In Body Consciousness, Richard Shusterman Refutes Such Charges By Engaging The Most Influential Twentieth-century Somatic Philosophers And Incorporating Insights From Both Western And Asian Disciplines Of Body-mind Awareness. Rather Than Rehashing Intractable Ontological Debates On The Mind-body Relation, Shusterman Reorients Study Of This Crucial Nexus Toward A More Fruitful, Pragmatic Direction That Reinforces Important But Neglected Connections Between Philosophy Of Mind, Ethics, Politics, And The Pervasive Aesthetic Dimensions Of Everyday Life.--jacket. Somasethetics And Care Of The Self: The Case Of Foucault -- The Silent, Limping Body Of Philosophy: Somatic Attention Defecit In Merleau-ponty -- Somatic Subjectives And Somatic Subjugation: Beauvoir On Gender And Ageing -- Wittgenstein's Somaesthetics: Explanation And Melioration In Philosophy Of Mind, Art, And Politics -- Deeper Into The Storm Center: The Somatic Philosophy Of William James -- Redeeming Somatic Reflection: John Dewey's Philosophy Of Body-mind. Richard Shusterman. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 217-225) And Index. Philosophy / Ethics / Morality Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 Preface 11 Introduction 19 I 19 II 24 III 26 IV 30 1 Somaesthetics and Care of the Self: The Case of Foucault 33 I 33 II 37 III 41 IV 48 V 58 VI 61 2 The Silent, Limping Body of Philosophy: Somatic Attention Deficit in Merleau-Ponty 67 I 67 II 69 III 74 IV 84 V 91 3 Somatic Subjectivities and Somatic Subjugation: Simone de Beauvoir on Gender and Aging 95 I 95 II 99 III 103 IV 109 V 118 VI 121 4 Wittgenstein’s Somaesthetics: Explanation and Melioration in Philosophy of Mind, Art, and Politics 130 I 130 II 134 III 141 IV 145 V 150 5 Deeper into the Storm Center: The Somatic Philosophy of William James 153 I 153 II 157 Habit 158 Change and Unity in the Stream of Thought 159 Sensation, Attention, and Sense of Time and Place 161 Emotion 164 Personal Identity and the Spiritual Self 170 The Will 173 III 176 IV 183 V 194 6 Redeeming Somatic Reflection: John Dewey’s Philosophy of Body-Mind 198 I 198 II 201 Correcting the Jamesian Inconsistencies 201 III 207 Alexander, Habit, and the Need for Somatic Reflection 207 IV 221 Discomforts of Alexander’s Postural Theory 221 V 230 Provisional Conclusions 230 Select Bibliography 235 Index 245 # Hardcover: 256 pages # Publisher: Cambridge University Press (January 7,2008) # Language: English # ISBN-10: 0521858909 # ISBN-13: 978-0521858908 Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Preface......Page 11 I......Page 19 II......Page 24 III......Page 26 IV......Page 30 I......Page 33 II......Page 37 III......Page 41 IV......Page 48 V......Page 58 VI......Page 61 I......Page 67 II......Page 69 III......Page 74 IV......Page 84 V......Page 91 I......Page 95 II......Page 99 III......Page 103 IV......Page 109 V......Page 118 VI......Page 121 I......Page 130 II......Page 134 III......Page 141 IV......Page 145 V......Page 150 I......Page 153 II......Page 157 Habit......Page 158 Change and Unity in the Stream of Thought......Page 159 Sensation, Attention, and Sense of Time and Place......Page 161 Emotion......Page 164 Personal Identity and the Spiritual Self......Page 170 The Will......Page 173 III......Page 176 IV......Page 183 V......Page 194 I......Page 198 Correcting the Jamesian Inconsistencies......Page 201 Alexander, Habit, and the Need for Somatic Reflection......Page 207 Discomforts of Alexander’s Postural Theory......Page 221 Provisional Conclusions......Page 230 Select Bibliography......Page 235 Index......Page 245 Contemporary culture increasingly suffers from problems of attention, over-stimulation, and stress, and a variety of personal and social discontents generated by deceptive body images. This book argues that improved body consciousness can relieve these problems and enhance one’s knowledge, performance, and pleasure. The body is our basic medium of perception and action, but focused attention to its feelings and movements has long been criticized as a damaging distraction that also ethically corrupts through self-absorption. In Body Consciousness, Richard Shusterman refutes such charges by engaging the most influential twentieth-century somatic philosophers and incorporating insights from both Western and Asian disciplines of body-mind awareness.