SOMAESTHETICS AND THE CARE OF THE BODY
Metaphilosophy April 1, 2011 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9973.2011.01686.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 11 |
| Key points | Argues that immersed involvement with things and other people involves bodily practices characterized by a performative forgetting of the body, and proposes that depending on how we become aware of, or practice awareness of, the body, performance may be improved or disrupted. The article poses questions to Richard Shusterman about his concepts of somaesthetics and body consciousness, including how they relate to bodily forgetfulness in expert performance and how somatic reflection differs from pre-reflective bodily awareness. |
Abstract
Abstract: This article poses a number of questions to Richard Shusterman concerning his concepts of somaesthetics and body consciousness in his book Body Consciousness: A Philosophy of Mindfulness and Somaesthetics. How do the concepts relate to the kind of forgetfulness of the body that can happen in expert performance? What is the nature of somatic reflection, and how is it different from pre‐reflective awareness of the body? The article suggests that our immersed involvement and overt orientation toward things, and toward other people that concern us, involve bodily practices characterized by a performative forgetting of the body. Depending on the nature of the way we become aware of (or practice awareness of) the body, performance may be improved or disrupted.