ABSTRACT
The concept of the art of living can be understood as a philosophical school of thought that raises issues surrounding the design and construction of a successful life. The art of life is thus centered on questions of self-knowledge, self-control, and self-formation – in short, on care for oneself as an individual. This chapter seeks to demonstrate that in Western thought the art of living represents a form of knowledge that is both every-day and scientific – which generally means embracing philosophical knowledge (but also knowledge from other sciences, such as medicine or therapeutic knowledge). Then he attempts to make clear that both quantitative and economic perspectives on the art of living as well as both qualitative and evaluative descriptions of its specific condition continue to be relevant today. Accordingly, the ‘art’ in the art of living consists precisely of forming a connection between its sometimes quite sophisticated philosophical programs and the often rather banal reality of daily life as well as between a calculable amount of happiness and a successful ‘aesthetic existence’ (Foucault).
