Abstract

This article (originally published in the English version of my book Body Consciousness) critically examines the value of Simone de Beauvoir’s philosophy for the project of somaesthetics. In contrast to most philosophers who view embodied experience as a universal given that is essentially the same for all human subjects, Beauvoir highlights how somatic subjectivities distinctively differ through different subject positions determined by the subject’s social roles and status. Her detailed exploration of the somatic subjectivities of women and the elderly (which are shaped by forms of social subjugation) constitutes the focus of my study. I show how Beauvoir fails to recognize the extent to which somatic training can address some of the problems of subjugated somatic subjectivities and can thus help contribute to wider sodcial efforts for greater freedom.