Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

Fall 11-5-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

November 2025

Department

Comparative Studies Program

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Richard Shusterman

Abstract

This dissertation traces the origins of somaesthetics—an interdisciplinary field of study dedicated to the improvement and enrichment of the body’s aesthetic perception—through a genealogical method. The purpose of this method is to provide an account of the development of somaesthetics while simultaneously marshalling critical resources for its development and application. This dissertation fills a gap in somaesthetics by explicating its core philosophical commitments and its interdisciplinary composition. By means of reconstruction, the first part of this dissertation recounts the pragmatist background of somaesthetics, including fundamental commitments to experience, pluralism, and meliorism. The dissertation argues the reconstruction of pragmatism for somaesthetics must involve the incorporation of critical voices from marginalized groups because somaesthetics is ab initio embedded in the very same concerns that animate them, namely the vulnerability of the body and the possibilities for its improvements for appreciative living, goals which are both emancipatory and enriching. The second part inserts somaesthetics into global discussions to demonstrate its application for crafting a meaningful and cosmopolitan life. These include the self-cultivation efforts of ancient Chinese philosophy and French postmodern thought. These chapters demonstrate how somaesthetics problematizes and advances globally relevant debates. They illustrate, furthermore, how somaesthetics harnesses the strengths of various positions while avoiding their weaknesses. The process is referred to as genealogical problematization. The final chapter on democracy articulates the global character of somaesthetics which concludes the genealogical argument.

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