Foucault: A Prisoner Of Power To The Rescue Of The Aesthetics Of Existence

This dissertation is intended to make a critical analysis on Foucault'sAesthetics of Existence.This dissertation emphasizes that we should not consider Foucault'sAesthetics of Existence in isolation from his thoughts in early stage. We shouldnot simply consider Foucauit's Aesthetics of Existence as an appendix of histhoughts in early stage, or simply consider Foucault thoughts in early stage as apart of his Aesthetics of Existence. Facing Foucault's thoughts turn from hisearly stage to later stage, we should steer a cautious course. To make a criticalanalysis on Foucault's Aesthetics of Existence, we should have a careful overviewon Foucauit's thoughts turn from his early stage to later stage.Taking "power" as the axis, "space", and "body", "visual" and "knowledge"as important dimensions, we analyze three important books(History of Madness,the Birth of Clinic, Discipline and Punish) of Foucault in his early stage fromchapter 1 to chapter 4. We will make a summary of these four chapters and pointout Foucault's hard task to resist "Power" in chapter 5. In chapter 6, we willanalyze the whole course of Foucault's thoughts in writing The History of Sexand try to master Foucault's aesthetic turn. We will analyze the content andcharacteristics of Foucault are Aesthetics of Existence in chapter 7 and analyzeits limitations.When Foucauit thought about possible way to resist power, he went into animpasse, and after 8 years' exploration, he found "Aesthetics of Existence". Butthere are several serious limitations in Foucault's Aesthetics of Existence, so it isonly a Utopia, and not a practicable road for us to risist Power.