Modern history is a history of aesthetizations - and every
aesthetization raises a claim of protection. We aestheticize and want to
protect almost everything, including Earth, oceans, the atmosphere, rare
animal species and exotic plants. Humans are no exception. They also
present themselves as objects of contemplation that deserve admiration
and care. For some time, artists and intellectuals struggled for the
sovereign right to present themselves to society in their own way - to
become self-created works of art. Today everybody has not only a right
but also an obligation to practice self-design. We are responsible for
the way we present ourselves to others - and we cannot get rid of this
aesthetic responsibility.
However, we are not able to produce our own bodies. Before we begin to
practice self-design, we find ourselves already designed by the gaze of
others. That is why the practice of self-design mostly takes a critical
and confrontational turn. We want to bring others to see us in the way
we want to be seen - not only during our earthly life but also after our
death. This is a complicated struggle, and the aim of this book is to
describe and analyze it.