Study On Foucault's Aesthics Of Existence

Foucault has A lot of works which range from history, sociology, political science,psychiatric,medical,linguistics,literature,art,education,architecture and so on. It produced an extensive and far-reaching social influence. However, these woks were in order to interpret people's existence and freedom. He has always been concerned about the reality of human existence and explored how people from the shackles of all kinds of enslavement.He used archeology and genealogy to critic the truth and power. Through the study of "the history of sexuality", he revealed practical strategies and procedures to us by which "ourselves" distorted "subject", and tried to find a way out of the status quo. Foucault's aesthetics of existence is the direct result of his early research of archaeology and genealogy of power and morality, as well as critic to the power and truth. It is also the practical wisdom from his experience. Theoretically speaking, it originated from the aesthetics of existence prevailed in ancient Greek and Roman times, and absorbed Nietzsche's philosophy as well.Aesthetics of existence is a practice existence of the individual. It advocates the adoption of technologies of the self—a self-discipline with a high degree of self-restraint—to achieve the purpose of self-shaping, and in order to achieve freedom as its end. It advocates to transcend oneself continually, to form his or her unique styles of existence .Thus the focus of ethics from the relationship of individual with others and society to the individual with himself or herself ,which arouse people's concern for the individual quality of life. It has far-reaching significance.Of course, Foucault's aesthetics of existence has some flaws, but we can not deny its significance.